![[SPORTS] BREES BREAKS ALL-TIME PASSING YARD RECORD IN SAINTS WIN](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8116-2.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 9, 2018 | SPORTS
72,103 & Counting
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
With Drew Brees 201 passing yards away from history, Saints fans packed the Superdome knowing that Monday night would be one of the most memorable in franchise history.
The Saints legendary signal caller wouldn’t disappoint in the Bayou.
The New Orleans Saints dominated the Washington Redskins in a 43-19 win on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as Drew Brees made history on a special night.
Drew Brees would break Peyton Manning’s all-time passing yards record of 71,940 vs the Washington Redskins, becoming the NFL’s all-time leading passer.
The memorable completion to break the record would occur at the 2:46 mark of the second quarter as Brees found Tre’Quan Smith for a 62-yard completion
The New Orleans Saints would stop the game for a few minutes to acknowledge Drew Brees’ monumental feat and allow the franchise’s greatest player to live in the moment as well.
Brees — with his helmet removed — would take the football to the sidelines saluting and thanking the screaming sellout Superdome crowd who chanted “Drew!!!” in unison.
Brees would hand the football to Hall of Fame President David Baker, who was on the Saints sidelines for the game. He would briefly celebrate the moment with his wife and four children before the game would be resumed.
Mic’d up for the moment by ESPN’s broadcast during ‘Monday Night Football’, Brees told his head coach Sean Payton, ‘Let’s go win the game!!!’
A symbolic message for Brees and his team that there was still work to be done vs the Washington Redskins on the night.
New Orleans looking to win their fourth consecutive game, jumped out to a 6-0 lead vs the Washington Redskins.
Mark Ingram — playing in his first game of the season after a four-game suspension — would provide the Saints with a welcoming sign as he had a 28-yard reception before scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run on New Orleans’ first drive of the game.
The Redskins would answer the Saints quick start with a long drive, but the drive would end in frustration as they would be forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal by kicker Dustin Hopkins after Alex Smith was sacked on third and goal.
The Washington Redskins defense would hurt themselves with critical penalties on 3rd down in the first half that resulted in first downs for New Orleans.
One of those third down penalties included a boneheaded unnecessary roughness penalty on Montae Nicholson after Ryan Kerrigan had recorded a sack on 3rd and 8 early in the second quarter.
That penalty would keep alive New Orleans’ second scoring drive as the Saints took a 13-3 lead on Drew Brees’ 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Josh Hill.
It would be a lights out beginning to the game for Drew Brees, who quickly closed in on Peyton Manning’s yardage mark with a efficient start.
After a beautiful 46-yard strike to wide receiver Cameron Meredith set up the Saints inside the Redskins 10-yard line, Mark Ingram would add a second rushing score to give New Orleans a 20-6 lead.
Brees’ record-setting completion to Tre’Quan Smith, a third round draft pick this past April, is one that Smith will remember for the rest of his life as the touchdown near the end of the half made it a 26-6 game.
The touchdown was the first of Smith’s career and just the third catch of the season for the 22-year-old rookie wide receiver out of the University of Central Florida.
He added another one to his breakout game with a 35-yard touchdown reception from Brees as that touchdown made it a 32-13 minutes into the third quarter, and the rout was on from there on out.
Drew Brees would finish the game 26-for-29 for 363 passing yards and 3 TDs.
The future Hall of Famer was selected in the second round with the 32nd pick in the 2001 NFL Draft out of Purdue University by the San Diego Chargers.
Brees would sit out most of his rookie season before having an opportunity to start for four seasons in San Diego.
It was a up and down career for Brees in San Diego where he followed an underwhelming 11 TD to 15 INT season with a then career-best 27 TD season where he only threw 7 INTs during the 2004 season.
That may have been Brees — the ultimate gamer — playing with a chip on his shoulder as the Chargers drafted Eli Manning with the first pick in the 2004 before trading with the New York Giants for Philip Rivers.
Brees career in San Diego would end with a career-threatening shoulder injury to right arm in December 31st, 2005 vs the Denver Broncos as safety John Lynch drilled him in the second quarter of that game as he was releasing the ball.
He was thought to be a short-term solution for a rebuilding Saints team back in 2006 when they signed him as a free-agent.
Fast forward to now, Drew Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in NFL history and tonight was a culmination of his incredible consistency and durability.
Brees, 39, transformed himself as a passer under head coach Sean Payton’s offensive system. As time as has gone on he has seemingly gotten better with age as his understanding of defenses and his high football IQ has aged well.
On Monday night the Redskins had an opportunity to prove their defense was elite in a tough draw against the Saints in prime-time.
They failed miserably.
The Redskins (2-2) came in with the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense, but that defense would fail to slow down one of the NFL’s best offenses and their record-setting quarterback.
It’s an ugly loss coming off a bye week, but with the NFC East currently not having a winning team, Washington will have an opportunity to put this loss behind them.
For New Orleans, it’s four consecutive wins and a team that was a Super Bowl favorite is starting to look like one as the Saints defense is coming around after a rough start to the season.
New Orleans’ defense, flying all over the field, would limit Alex Smith and the Redskins offense to 283 total yards while forcing two turnovers.
The Redskins were limited to 39 rushing yards on 18 carries and a 4-for-13 conversion rate on third down.
The Saints will continue a tough stretch of games with their third road game in four games when they visit the Baltimore Ravens in two weeks at M&T Bank Stadium.
What are your thoughts on Drew Brees breaking the all-time passing yards mark? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] BROCK HOLT HITS FOR CYCLE AS RED SOX OBLITERATE YANKEES IN GAME 3](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8119-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 9, 2018 | SPORTS
Brock Holt’s Cycle Is First In MLB Postseason History
Mookie Betts began the night by hitting a ball on the nose to deep center field, sending Brett Gardner back as Yankees fans throughout the audience gasped.
It wouldn’t go out, but it was a message that Boston was ready to out-slug their rivals.
In a night where the ball was flying around the park, it was the Boston Red Sox doing all of the hitting as they pounded their bitter rivals.
The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 16-1 on Monday night at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALDS to take a 2-1 series lead.
Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt would hit for the first cycle in MLB postseason history vs the Yankees in Boston’s blowout victory.
With the game all but salted away, Brock Holt would hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to hit for the cycle vs the Yankees in a next to empty Yankee Stadium.
With wins and losses having heightened importance, Holt’s magical night in which he batted seventh on the night and went 4-for-6 with 5 RBIs will be quickly forgotten if Boston loses this series.
Still, not bad for a guy who’s mostly used as a utility infielder and had not played in over a week.
The Red Sox won all season long on the strength of an outstanding offense that was the best in most offensive categories this season.
On Monday night they used that strength to overmatch and embarrass the Yankees, who had tied the series in Game 2.
The Boston Red Sox would strike first in this critical Game 3 with three runs in the third as Mookie Betts sparked the Red Sox with his bat and aggressiveness on the base paths as Boston took a 3-0 lead.
After watching his young starter Luis Severino load the bases with nobody out to begin the fourth inning, Aaron Boone would be forced to go to his bullpen early for right-hander Lance Lynn.
Luis Severino, shaky, would exit Game 3 of the ALDS to light boos from the crowd as he failed to deliver for the New York Yankees on Monday night.
Those boos in Yankee Stadium would turn into stunned silence at what was a raucous environment at the start of the game as left fielder Andrew Benintendi followed a bases loaded walk to Mookie Betts by unloading the bases with a three-run RBI double to stake Boston a statement 7-0 lead.
…… Oh, you’re saying there was MORE?
The Red Sox turned the skill difficultly to rookie on the Yankees in the fourth inning as three more runs would come in to score to cap a seven-run inning that saw a grand total of 11 men reach base.
11!!!
The New York Yankees would get a run back with the inning switching over on a RBI infield single by shortstop Didi Gregorious to make it a 10-1 game, but the mountain would be too large for the Pinstripers on this night.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-0), who spent two seasons with the Yankees from 2015 and 2016, got the ball for the Red Sox in Game 3.
The hard throwing righty would give Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox a much-needed performance that exceeded expectations.
Eovaldi would shutdown the New York Yankees high-powered offense on a cool night in the Bronx. The 28-year-old would allow one run on five hits while striking out five over seven dazzling innings.
He used his four-seam fastball that would touch 100 mph and his cutter to befuddle a Yankees lineup that was hot entering the postseason.
Eight days of rest did the Red Sox right-hander well as his performance on Monday gave the Red Sox a pulse with their starting pitching woes.
The Red Sox piled up 18 hits and a total of 25 men on base as their 16 runs vs the New York Yankees are the most all-time in the postseason.
Aaron Boone and the Yankees will have to go back to the drawing board quickly as their season is now on the line tomorrow night vs a team that would love nothing more than to celebrate a ALCS birth on their field.
What are your thoughts on the Boston Red Sox victory tonight? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] MACHADO LEADS DODGERS TO GAME 4 WIN; ADVANCE TO NLCS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8113-1.jpg?resize=600%2C409&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 9, 2018 | SPORTS
Dodgers Advance To Third Consecutive NLCS
Manny Machado insisted before Game 4 that his struggles in the NLDS wouldn’t change his aggressive approach.
Staying true to his word, the Dodgers are on their way to the NLCS again with his bat playing the biggest of roles.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-2 on Monday at SunTrust Park in Game 4 of the NLDS to win the series 3-1 and advance to the NLCS.
Manny Machado entered the game 1-for-12 with 7 Ks in the series but he would come up huge for the Dodgers in a huge series clinching performance.
The Dodgers star trade acquisition from this season would start the damage for the Dodgers in Game 4 and would leave Braves fans stinging with his next hit.
A big home run vs the Atlanta Braves in a tight game late took the air out hopeful Braves fans in attendance lungs while providing Dodgers fans some thousand miles away a sigh of relief.
It was needed to takedown a gritty and hungry young baseball team in the Atlanta Braves who’s future looks special moving forward
The Los Angeles Dodgers will be playing in their third consecutive NLCS, hoping to advance to the World Series for the second consecutive year.
Dave Roberts’ Dodgers would jump out to a 1-0 lead after Manny Machado’s RBI double off Mike Foltynewicz with two outs gave them the early edge in the first inning.
Rich Hill, who cruised through the first three innings vs the Atlanta Braves, would put himself in a tough spot to begin the fourth.
Hill would walk the first two batters to begin the inning. After a Ender Inciarte sacrifice bunt moved the runners over to second and third base, the Braves would take a 2-1 lead on a two-run RBI single by pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki, who lined Hill’s offering to left field.
Atlanta would have another grand opportunity given to them in the fifth inning with a teetering Rich Hill continuing to struggle with control.
With two men already on in the inning, Manny Machado would fail to corral a groundball at shortstop as the ball caught him on the heel of his catching glove before bouncing up in the air as all hitters would be safe.
Ryan Madson would come into the game with one out with the bases loaded facing the bottom of the order for the Atlanta Braves as he would get catcher Tyler Flowers to pop-up in foul ground before getting out of the jam as he induced a pop-up by Ender Inciarte to end the inning.
Pinch-hitting for reliever Ryan Madison with two outs in the sixth, David Freese would give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead following a two-run single off right-hander Brad Brach.
In the seventh inning, Manny Machado would put some distance between the Dodgers and Braves. With two men on and no outs in the seventh, Machado would blast a no doubt homer off reliever Chad Sobotka to left to give Los Angeles a 6-2 lead.
The Braves would fail to get any offense going against the Dodgers bullpen, which turned in another solid showing to begin the postseason.
Atlanta would go 1-for-8 with RISP in the do-or-die game. The promising pairing of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies would go a combined 1-for-10 with 2 Ks.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ closer Kenley Jansen, pitching in a non-save situation, would come in for the ninth inning and retire the top of Atlanta’s order to clinch a NLCS birth.
Brian Snitker’s Atlanta Braves surprised in 2018 by winning the NL East as they were one of the most exciting teams in the MLB.
Their season ends in heartbreak, but with an eye to 2019 and beyond, the Braves after years of rebuilding through their minor league system are on the path to being a established contender in the National League.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, finding a way to leave SunTrust Park with the series wrapped up was the only thing that mattered.
With Clayton Kershaw set to go for a potential Game 5 on Wednesday, that’s not exactly a dire situation for the Dodgers, but one that you want to avoid after having a 2-0 series lead.
Now, Clayton Kershaw will start the beginning of the NLCS vs a Milwaukee Brewers team that has won 11 straight games but is mostly shutting teams down.
It’s a different challenge from a season ago having to go on the road to start a playoff series, but as they have shown throughout the season, they are mentally tough enough to win anywhere.
What are your thoughts on the Los Angeles Dodgers advancing to the NLCS? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] SPRINGER’S HOME RUNS, LATE EXPLOSION LEAD TO ALDS SWEEP; ADVANCE TO ALCS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8111-1-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 8, 2018 | SPORTS
Astros Moving On To ALCS After Sweep Of Indians
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
A mentality to grind and grind away has become synonymous throughout the Houston Astros clubhouse.
Staying true to their identity, they took a step towards their ultimate goal vs an Indians team wishing they could have one inning back.
The Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Indians 11-3 on Monday at Progressive Field in Game 3 of the ALDS to win the series 3-0 and advance to the ALCS.
It took a while, but the Houston Astros would chip away at the Indians before breaking them in Game 3 to book their reservations for the next round.
Houston Astros’ center fielder George Springer would hit two home runs and left fielder Marwin Gonzalez would put the Astros up in the seventh before pulling away late.
Springer, who won the World Series MVP last season vs the Los Angeles Dodgers for his 5 HR World Series performance, set a new Houston Astros franchise-record with his two home runs on Monday as he now has 10 career postseason home runs.
A.J. Hinch’s team brought their bats and broomsticks with them to Progressive Field as Houston recorded 13 hits while going 6-for-15 with RISP.
Dallas Keuchel, taking the ball for Game 3 at Progressive Field, would give the Astros a stellar performance. The former AL Cy Young winner would allow two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings.
Collin McHugh (1-0) would pick up the win out of the bullpen as he shutdown the Indians lineup over two innings, allowing no hits while striking out four.
The ALDS sweep gives the Houston Astros their first postseason sweep in franchise history.
The Cleveland Indians offense would continue to struggle to get anything of note done against Houston’s pitching staff and bullpen as they failed to put pressure on Houston’s explosive offense.
Cleveland would go 0-for-3 with RISP, leaving four men on base as they were mostly outmatched on the day by the superior Astros.
Mike Clevinger, making his first career postseason start, would dazzle vs the Indians potent lineup to begin the game.
Clevinger with the home crowd behind him would strike out four batters over the first two innings, leaning on his curveball to get the job done.
He would encounter trouble in the third inning as a single, walk and hit batsman would result in the bases being loaded with one out. The 27-year-old would strikeout first baseman Yuli Gurriel before getting utility man Marwin Gonzalez to fly out to left to end the inning.
The Indians would get on the board first with a run with one out in the third inning after a RBI sacrifice fly by Michael Brantley off Dallas Keuchel gave them a 1-0 lead.
It wouldn’t last long as the Astros would tie the game at 1-1 on a George Springer home run off Mike Clevinger in the fifth inning.
In need of an answer, Francisco Lindor would provide one as the star shortstop smoked a home run off Dallas Keuchel in the fifth inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 2-1 lead.
With Clevinger exiting the game after 99 pitches, the Indians would go to right-hander Trevor Bauer. Bauer would strand a runner at first with by inducing a pop up by Carlos Correa before striking out catcher Brian McCann to end the inning.
The seventh inning would be a rough one for Indians’ right-hander Trevor Bauer, and put a wrench in Cleveland’s plans to extend their season.
It would be a inning in which Trevor Bauer would commit two costly throwing errors that led to a runner (Tony Kemp) advancing to second base with no outs and another that would turn a play that should’ve led to two outs leading to none.
Making a throw to second base to Francisco Lindor after the Astros had tied the game at 2-2, Bauer’s throw would pull Lindor off the bag and Lindor would be unable to throw out Bregman — who grounded out with one out in the inning — at first base. The costly error would lead to a bases loaded opportunity for Marwin Gonzalez, Game 2’s hero for the Astros.
After getting a 3-1 count, Gonzalez would hit a high fastball out of the zone down the line to left field that would fall for a base hit. It would be a two-run double for Gonzalez, who for the second straight game haunted Cleveland as the Astros now led 4-2.
That lead would balloon to 10-2 in the eighth inning as George Springer and Carlos Correa both homered in a six-run inning as Indians fans started making their ways to the parking lot in a attempt to beat traffic.
Terry Francona stuck with his right-hander Trevor Bauer in the midst of a troubling inning that saw him allow a leadoff single, commit two errors and load the bases with a walk.
With Cleveland’s bullpen woes being what they are, it’s hard to question that decision by Francona, but Bauer’s inability to get out of the inning with no damage done was a fatal blow to Cleveland’s season, which ended with a whimper courtesy of Houston’s explosion late.
Mike Clevinger would give the Cleveland Indians a strong performance in Game 3 of the ALDS. Clevinger would allow only one run on three hits and three walks while striking out nine over five innings.
It was a season in which the Indians dominated the AL Central with a 49-27 mark, but were mostly inconsistent vs non-divisional opponents.
After reaching the World Series back in 2016, the team takes a step back despite a third consecutive division title as they have been swept from the postseason for the first time in the Terry Francona era.
The Houston Astros showed the Cleveland Indians that there’s a difference between playoff caliber teams and championship teams in the ALDS.
Winning in every facet of the game — hitting, pitching, defense — is what won the Houston Astros this series as they outscored the Cleveland 21-6 and out-hit them 34-12.
A.J. Hinch’s team dominance over the Indians was a continuation of what we had seen throughout the regular-season when they finished the season with a run differential of +263, best in the major leagues.
They finished the regular-season with the best starting pitching and bullpen ERA in the MLB and their offense has not waned from the offense we saw a year ago despite injuries throughout the year.
It’s the Houston Astros, hungry to repeat as MLB world champions this postseason and are not resting on their laurels.
What are your thoughts on the Houston Astros advancing to the ALCS? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] BRAVES USE HR BALL TO HOLD OFF DODGERS RALLY; FORCE GAME 4](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8108.jpg?resize=600%2C405&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 8, 2018 | SPORTS
Acuna Jr., Freeman Lift Braves To Game 3 Win
Atlanta Braves fans hope Ronald Acuna Jr. will leave behind memories that they remember years after he’s done playing.
Facing elimination, he gave Braves fans his first playoff moment that helped save their season.
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night 6-5 at SunTrust Park in Game 3 of the NLDS to make it a 2-1 series.
The Atlanta Braves were dominated in the first two games by the Dodgers arms, but with their season hanging in the balance, would swing their way to a Game 4 on Monday.
Behind home runs from their best hitters in Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman and clutch pitching from their bullpen, the Dodgers will have work to do to advance to the NLCS.
Atlanta would record four hits to Los Angeles’ seven, but the biggest hit of the game belonged to rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
Against a shaky Walker Buehler, who after a five pitch first inning lost his control over his pitches, the Braves would finally break through in the NLDS.
After walking in pitcher Sean Newcomb on four pitches with the bases loaded to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead, the Atlanta Braves rookie phenom would make Walker Buehler’s first career playoff start one not to remember.
After a very high strike call on a 3-0 pitch, Ronald Acuna Jr. would blast a high fastball from Walker Buehler for a homer to left field for a grand slam to give Atlanta a resounding 5-0 lead in the second inning.
Sean Newcomb, who during the regular-season was a strike away from a no-hitter vs the Los Angeles Dodgers, would only pitch two and two-thirds innings.
His walk to Chris Taylor with two outs in the third inning would lead to Brian Snitker going to his bullpen for right-hander Kevin Gausman.
The Los Angeles Dodgers would answer the Braves five-run second inning by getting back into the game with two runs. Representing the tying run, Manny Machado’s strikeout would leave two runners on base for Los Angeles to end the inning.
The Dodgers would chip away at the Braves lead quickly as they would tie the game in the fifth inning as Chris Taylor’s two-run homer and Max Muncy blast would make it a 5-5 game.
After keeping the pesky and threatening Dodgers offense off the scoreboard in the sixth inning, first baseman Freddie Freeman wouldn’t wait long to give his team back the lead as he hit a first pitch home run to right field off newly inserted pitcher Alex Wood to give Atlanta a 6-5 lead.
Atlanta would take that lead into the ninth inning where closer Arodys Vizcaino would have his hands full with the Dodgers.
Vizcaino would give up a single to Joc Pederson before Justin Turner would draw a walk to give the Dodgers two men with no outs and a dangerous Max Muncy at the plate.
After falling behind 3-0 in the count, Vizcaino would battle back to strikeout Muncy with a 98 mph fastball low and away.
The Braves would get the second out of the inning after Vizcaino would get Manny Machado offer at a pitch that got away from the catcher Kurt Suzuki and moved the game tying and winning runs up 90 feet.
Vizcaino, facing Brian Dozier would two outs, would get Dozier swinging on a 1-2 slider in the dirt as the Braves escaped with their season still in tact.
Dave Roberts went with the rookie right-hander on Sunday night in a road game vs the Braves only to see that decision backfire. That’s a decision Roberts likely won’t lament given his trust in the rookie who since the end of August had been red-hot for Los Angeles.
Reasons for finishing off a series when you’re up 2-0 in a best-of-five series are obvious, and you could see that in Dave Roberts body language as he watched his young pitcher implode in the second inning.
You could also see that in the Dodgers desperation to get back in the game and try to win it after falling behind 5-0 early.
A Game 4 gives Atlanta an opportunity to force a deciding Game 5, something that would cause a great deal of panic and unrest for Dodgers nation.
Los Angeles would go 1-for-9 with RISP vs the Atlanta Braves. A total of nine me would be left on base.
It was a tough night for superstar shortstop Manny Machado, who in big spots with runners in scoring position in the third and ninth inning struck out.
For the Atlanta Braves, it’s one game at a time with an increased sense of urgency knowing that a loss ends the season.
The Braves couldn’t score a run in the first two games as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw combined to go 15 innings with zero runs allowed vs them.
A quick start allowed for Brian Snitker’s young team to exhale some and not press vs a Dodgers team that 1 through 7 are deep in their lineup.
Those exhales would become lesser and lesser as the Dodgers climbed back into the game, but the Braves wouldn’t fold and because of it, will have a game at home to force a Game 5 back in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
What are your thoughts on the Atlanta Braves victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers? Leave your comments below!
![[SPORTS] NFL WEEK 5 RECAP: EAGLES CONTINUE WOES IN LOSS TO VIKINGS](https://i0.wp.com/sloppyvinyl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_8107-1-2.jpg?resize=600%2C399&ssl=1)
by sloppyvinyl | Oct 8, 2018 | SPORTS
The 72′ Miami Dolphins champagne bottles are still on ice after the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs made it through Week 5 with yet another W in the left side of the column.
Also, the 08′ Detroit Lions and 17′ Cleveland Browns (maybe for reasons unexplained) can keep their brown paper bags in the kitchen cabinets after the Arizona Cardinals picked up their first victory of the season on Sunday.
Still, it’s always fun to see this every now and then.
Enough with picking on the Detroit Lions, who can’t beat quarterbacks with more than three years of starting experience but can beat Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
NFL Week 5 saw Isaiah Crowell turn into Barry Sanders, Patrick Mahomes first interceptions and Ben Roethlisberger finally remember he has Antonio Brown to the delight of fantasy owners.
Overall a solid week of games, here are my takeaways from the biggest headlines from the week that was in the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles Continue To Stumble
Whether Eagles fans were angrily booing the referees for what they felt was a bad roughing the passer call on Michael Bennett or their overall play as a team in the first half, there just wasn’t much to cheer for for Philly heading into the half.
The Minnesota Viking snapped their two-game skid with a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen would become the first receiver in NFL history to record 5 consecutive 100-yard receiving games to begin the season.
Kirk Cousins finished the game with a efficient performance as he completed 81 percent of his passes while throwing for 301 passing yards and 1 TD to help Minnesota to their second win of the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles are reeling after their latest defeat, their third in the past four weeks and there’s plenty of blame to go around.
Philadelphia’s offensive line, a strength in 2017, has fallen off from last season as they’ve become increasingly incapable of protecting the quarterback.
Carson Wentz in the first half alone was hit five times, one of those hits resulting in a sack and a comedic 64-yard fumble recovery touchdown by defensive tackle Linval Joseph in the second quarter.
The Minnesota Vikings very well may be a team that had its rough patches and will regain its form from 2017, but for Philadelphia the same may not be the case.
Philadelphia’s identity, swagger and in some ways chemistry seems to be greatly diminished from the Super Bowl winning team last season.
The team wouldn’t convert a third down until the third quarter and allowed Kirk Cousins to consistently have a clean pocket to throw the football.
The Philadelphia Eagles unsettling start in 2018 has many now surprisingly pondering if the team will be able to recover and make the NFL postseason.
They won’t have long to lick their wounds as a trip to East Rutherford to face the New York Giants on Thursday is next for Doug Pederson’s struggling team.
Rams Hang On To Top Seahawks In Shootout
The Los Angeles Rams have real concerns defensively, but troubles on that side of the ball are not enough to keep them from repeating a trend each team wishes to repeat.
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 on Sunday at CenturyLink Stadium to remain unbeaten this season.
The Rams needed to overcome a fourth quarter deficit for the first time in 2018 to move to 5-0 this season as 39-yard field goal by kicker Cairo Santos with six minutes to go proved to be the difference.
Todd Gurley would rumble his way to a well earned 113 yards from scrimmage and 3 TDs to lead the Rams to the win.
The Seahawks, who were blown off their home field 42-7 last season by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, came for a fight today with their division rivals.
Russell Wilson (198 passing yards and 3 TDs) got plenty of help from the Seahawks rushing attack (32 carries, 190 rushing yards) as Chris Carson led the way with 116 rushing yards.
The Rams defense, which looked strong over the first two weeks is looking increasingly suspect they have given up an average of 28 PPG the last three games.
Wade Phillips’ unit is continuing to give up big plays through the air and a steady dose of yards on the ground. Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh got to Wilson for a sack each on the day but failed to factor in much against the run.
Why is this unit struggling to dominate? That was the expectation this season with the new additions. While losing Aqib Talib hurt the secondary, that’s not having a ripple down effect in Los Angeles’ ability to stop the run as they struggled vs the run even with Talib in the lineup.
Flawed on that end of the ball now unexpectedly, Sean McVay and the Rams will take being 5-0 with room for improvement.
Chiefs Defense Stands Up vs Jaguars
All the talk this week understandably was about the matchup of the Kansas City Chiefs top ranked offense vs the the Jacksonville Jaguars top ranked defense.
On Sunday, an unlikely group would make their presence felt.
Kansas City’s defense, which ranked 31st in the NFL coming into today, would be the unit making all of the headlines at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City would force Blake Bortles into three first half turnovers which included a 20-yard interception return by defensive end Chris Jones before the half to make it a 20-0 Chiefs lead.
The Jacksonville Jaguars would be shutdown on a 4th and goal play in the early in the second quarter as head coach Doug Marrone took a gamble on a 4th and 1 play at the Chiefs 3-yard line.
Kansas City’s defense, led by the pass rush of outside linebacker Dee Ford, would keep Jacksonville off the scoreboard until the 3:10 mark of the third quarter where Blake Bortles would connect with T.J. Yeldon for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Kansas City Chiefs went on to win the game 30-14 as they forced Blake Bortles into a career-high five turnovers.
It’s the second consecutive season where the Kansas City Chiefs have started the season 5-0.
Graham Gano Stuns Giants on 63-Yard Field Goal
In a game they had to get to keep their season afloat, the Giants would come to life at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday vs the Carolina Panthers, but it would not be enough.
In a game of momentum switches that featured a Odell Beckham Jr. touchdown pass and grab as well as Eli Manning and Cam Newton trading dueling touchdowns …. and interceptions, the drama was plenty.
The Giants rallied back from a early 17-3 deficit to take a 31-30 lead over the Carolina Panthers late in the fourth quarter after Saquon Barkley scored his second touchdown of the game, a 15-yard touchdown reception from Eli Manning.
Just as was the case the last time these two played, Cam Newton would have the ball in his hands to win the game, but it would be Graham Gano handing the Giants a bitter pill to swallow.
Gano would Stun the Giants on a 63-yard field goal to give the Carolina Panthers a 33-31 victory over New York.
Giants cracked the 30-point plateau for the first time since Week 17 of the 2015 season, but that wasn’t enough to keep New York from falling to 1-4 on the road.
Though a ugly victory coming off a bye week, Carolina can now rest easy after averting disaster vs a team coming in that averaged 18.3 PPG.
Baker Mayfield Leads Browns To Improbable Overtime Win
That’s a way to make amends for a poor performance.
A week after turning the ball over four times and costing his team dearly in a 45-42 OT loss to the Oakland Raiders, Baker Mayfield would lead the Browns to a 12-9 OT win over the Baltimore Ravens.
After letting a 9-6 lead slip away in the final minutes, allowing Joe Flacco and the Ravens to tie the game and send it to overtime, we would be in for an eventful overtime period.
After failing to convert on a 4th and 5 from the Ravens 39 yard-line with under four minutes to play, Cleveland would shutdown Baltimore and force a three-and-out.
Cleveland would begin the possession at their own 16-yard line and it would turn into a 2nd and 21 situation for Cleveland after a 11-yard loss on a end around by wide receiver Rod Streeter.
After a 13-yard scramble on 2nd and 21, Mayfield would turn a quiet Browns crowd into a noisy one after a 39-yard completion to wide receiver Derrick Willis after the two-minute warning.
Duke Johnson would rush for 15 yards on the following play and add 9 more on the next two plays as Cleveland would be set up for a 37-yard field goal attempt with six seconds remaining.
With every Browns fan in attendance having it finely imprinted in their minds that the worse was to come give their struggles at kicker to start the season as well as during this game, their prayers would be answered.
Greg Joseph, who missed a 55-yard field goal and a extra point during the game, would hit a game-winning 37-yard field goal that was low and wobbly but made it through to give the Browns their second win of the season.
It’s been a fascinating start for the Cleveland Browns franchise during the 2018 regular-season.
In the first five games, the Cleveland Browns have played in three overtime games, tying, losing and now winning in those games.
Baker Mayfield (342 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) lit up a Ravens defense that coming in allowed the fourth fewest passing yards at 193.3 passing yards.
Not to be forgotten, Cleveland’s defense continued their strong play to begin the season.
Gregg Williams’ unit would hold the Ravens to 4-for-16 on third down while limiting Joe Flacco to a pedestrian game in which he finished 29-for-56 for 298 passing yards and a INT as Baltimore did not score a touchdown.
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