The Sportsletter - Tua & Oh 🐬

BY JEFF YODER

SEP. 19, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Welcome Back 👋

Sunday marked the second time in NFL history that featured three 13-point comebacks, and they all came via 4th-quarter stunners. College football had some epic finishes, too. It’s a bulky edition of wild football drama.

Oh, and did I forget to mention? The Las Vegas Aces are WNBA champs…

Letter Rip!

NFL

Week 2: Comeback Kids

Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Tua Tagovailoa’s 6-TD Performances Leads Sunday of Comebacks in NFL Week 2

If you like late-game drama and ridiculous comebacks, Week 2 was for you. The Dolphins, Jets and Cardinals all rallied from double digits to produce a fascinating set of NFL rallies. All three featured comebacks of 13 points or more in the fourth quarter, including the Dolphins’ wild 21-point deficit-destroyer. One of the biggest transactions of the NFL offseason was the Dolphins’ acquisition of WR Tyreek Hill. Coupled alongside young receiver Jaylen Waddle, Miami put QB Tua Tagovailoa in a make-or-break season. He broke (out) for six touchdowns and the biggest 4th-quarter comeback in the NFL since 2010 (Eagles-Giants). Here's a trio of recaps from three unbelievable NFL games you have to see to believe.

Dolphins def. Ravens (42-38) | 21-Point Comeback

Miami trailed the Ravens 35-14 entering the 4th quarter on Sunday before an absolute offensive outburst. Tagovailoa marched the Dolphins to four 4th-quarter touchdowns, including two heaves to Hill and the game-winner to Waddle with 11 seconds left (42-38). On the final Baltimore possession, Lamar Jackson’s hail mary fell short of Rashad Bateman. Tagovailoa finished with 469 yards and 6 touchdowns. Hill and Waddle combined for 22 catches, 361 yards and 4 TDs. The Dolphins are 2-0, and the Ravens are on the wrong side of history.

Cardinals def. Raiders (29-23, OT) | 20-Point Comeback

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals overcame a 20-0 deficit to beat the Raiders on a fumble return TD in OT (29-23). Arizona scored two touchdowns with two two-point conversions in the 4th quarter. Murray ran for both scores. In overtime, the Cardinals forced a fumble and Byron Murphy ran it back for six and the win.

Jets def. Browns (31-30) | 13-Point Comeback

The Jets trailed the Browns (30-17) inside two minutes before Joe Flacco tossed two touchdowns (31-30). Flacco hit Corey Davis on a long ball before New York swiped an onside kick. With 22 seconds on the clock, Flacco found rookie Garrett Wilson for the winner. Flacco finished with over 300 yards and 4 TDs.

Other Week 2 Storylines

Trey Lance Injury: After an offseason of drama in San Francisco before the 49ers re-signed Jimmy Garoppolo to back up QB Trey Lance, the 49ers lost their young QB in the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the Seahawks (27-7). Lance was carted off with a broken ankle that ends his 2022 season before he could prove his value as the former No. 3 pick.

Week 2 Top Performances

QB T. Tagovailoa (MIA): 36/50, 469 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

QB L. Jackson (BAL): 21/29, 437 total yards, 4 TDs

QB J. Goff (DET): 20/34, 256 yards, 4 TDs

QB J. Flacco (NYJ): 26/44, 307 yards, 4 TDs

RB. N. Chubb (CLE): 17 carries, 87 yards, 3 TDs

WR T. Hill (MIA): 11 receptions, 190 yards, 2 TDs

WR J. Waddle (MIA): 11 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TDs

WR A. St. Brown (DET): 9 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TDs

WR C. Kupp (LAR): 11 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TDs

Week 2 Scores & Highlights

Chiefs def. Chargers (27-24) | Lions def. Commanders (36-27) | Buccaneers def. Saints (20-10) | Giants def. Panthers (19-16) | Patriots def. Steelers (17-14) | Jaguars def. Colts (24-0) | Rams def. Falcons (31-27) | 49ers def. Seahawks (27-7) | Cowboys def. Bengals (20-17) | Broncos def. Texans (16-9) | Packers def. Bears (27-10)

Monday Night Football

Titans at Bills (7:15 pm ET)

Vikings at Eagles (8:30 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

NFL: Lamar Jackson Passes Michael Vick With 11th 100-Yard Rushing Game

Yahoo! Sports: Trey Lance’s Season-Ending Injury Gives Jimmy Garoppolo 2nd Chance

B/R: Tua Tagovailoa Converts Doubters After 6-TD Game, Dolphins’ Comeback

WNBA

Coming Up Aces!

Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Las Vegas Aces Win 1st WNBA Championship With Game 4 Victory (78-71)

Champs in the desert! The WNBA Finals went to Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, and there’s a first-time champion once again. The Aces — who led the series 2-0 before surrendering Game 3 — closed out the Finals with a Game 4 gut-check. Chelsea Gray (20-6-5) led the scoring while Riquna Williams caught fire off the bench with 17 points. Vegas ended the Finals on an 11-2 run in the final two minutes. League MVP A’ja Wilson pulled down the final rebound and dribbled it out before the celebration began. The 2022 WNBA season is coming up Aces!

Finals MVP: Chelsea Gray

With 20 points in Game 4, Chelsea Gray led the scoring for Vegas and packaged her third 20-point game of the series en route to the Finals MVP award. Gray averaged 21.7 points and 7.0 assists while shooting 61 percent in the playoffs.

Hammon Takes the ‘W’

For years, Becky Hammon made history as the first female assistant coach in the NBA. She shifted to her first WNBA head coaching position before the 2022 season, and it didn’t take long to make her mark. Hammon is the first rookie coach to win a championship in 26 years of league history.

Season in Review

The WNBA regular season saw five teams neck-and-neck down the stretch, but the Aces (W4) and Sun (W3) finished the season on hot streaks. Those runs continued through the postseason, but no one could keep pace for Vegas, who went 8-2 in the playoffs to capture the first pro sports championship in the city’s history.

Watch: Aces Win 1st WNBA Championship

Additional Storylines

B/R: Aces Win 1st Pro Sports Championship in Las Vegas History

ESPN: Aces’ Becky Hammon Silences Doubters, Becomes 1st Rookie Coach to Win WNBA Title

CFB

Wild Finishes All Around

Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Hail Mary, Late-Game Heroics, Upsets & Notre Dame Scare Highlight Wild Weekend in College Football

The College Football landscape is shaping up, and Saturday (Week 3) brought a number of wild finishes that were worth the watch. A pair of Hail Mary's — one complete, one not — brought drama for Appalachian State and Notre Dame. Two touchdowns in the final minute between Purdue and Syracuse led to a wild finish. And upsets to the 11th, 12th and 13th ranked teams shook the rankings. If your team was in the top-10, they were on cruise control. Here’s what happened in Week 3:

Wild Finishes to Watch

Appalachian State’s Hail Mary: Appalachian State continues to play spoiler in college football.  The Mountaineers beat Troy on Saturday with a last-play, 53-yard Hail Mary that might be the play of the year.

Notre Dame Escapes Cal: The Irish were on the brink of a shocking 0-3 start to the season. After sealing a win against California (24-17) with an interception and a fumble recovery, the Irish were shocked by penalties on both plays. With Cal retaining the ball, their Hail Mary came within inches of being complete.

Syracuse Walks Off Boilers: Purdue rallied with a last-minute touchdown to take a 29-25 lead over Syracuse on the road, but they left too much time on the clock. With 11 seconds left and 25 yards to go, Syracuse QB Garrett Shrader delivered a strike to Orondo Gadsden II — ball game, Orange (32-29).

Washington Upsets #11 Michigan State: The biggest upset of the weekend belonged to Washington as QB Michael Penix Jr. (401 yards, 4 TDs) hung 38 on Michigan State in a blowout (38-29). The Huskies led 39-14 before the Spartans tacked on two scores in the 4th quarter.

Other Notable Highlights

#25 Oregon def. #12 BYYU (41-20)

#24 Texas A&M def. #13 Miami (17-9)

Top-10 Blowouts

#1 Georgia def. South Carolina (48-7)

#2 Alabama def. UL Monroe (63-7)

#3 Ohio State def. Toledo (77-21)

#4 Michigan def. UConn (59-0)

#5 Clemson def. Louisiana Tech (48-20)

#6 Oklahoma def. Nebraska (49-14)

#7 USC def. Fresno State (45-17)

#8 Oklahoma State def. Arkansas PB (63-7)

#9 Kentucky def. Youngstown State (31-0)

#10 Arkansas def. Missouri State (38-27)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: AP Top 25 Poll: Penn State Makes Jump, Washington Joins Rankings & More

SB Nation: 3 Takeaways From AP Poll, Including Washington’s Resurgence

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

⚾️ MLB: Judge Jacks 58 & 59

Just two away from history! Aaron Judge hit a pair of home runs — No. 58 and 59 — in Sunday’s 12-8 win over the Brewers. He’s now two shy of Roger Maris’ single-season AL record (61).

⚽️ EPL: Spurs Hang 6 Goals

The Premier League returned after a week off following the death of Queen Elizabeth, and one team went goal crazy. Tottenham blasted Leicester City (6-2) thanks to a hat trick from Son Heung-Min. Spurs and Manchester City are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the EPL.

🏎️ NASCAR: Final 12 Set After Bristol

Chris Buescher captured his first win of the season Saturday night at Bristol and the round of 12 is set for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Four drivers were eliminated. Twelve drivers remain with seven races to go.

🥊 BOXING: Canelo Alvarez Rocks GGG

The trilogy belongs to Canelo! Canelo Alvarez retained his super middleweight belt Saturday in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision over Gennadiy Golovkin in the trilogy fight between the two legends. The pair showed mutual respect after the finale of their longstanding rivalry.

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Herm Edwards Out as Arizona State Head Coach After Home Loss to Eastern Michigan (Yahoo! Sports)

• Houston Receivers Fight on Sideline in Loss to Kansas (ESPN)
• Arsenal 15-Year-Old Ethan Nwaneri Sets Premier League Record (Sports Illustrated)
• QB Tyrod Taylor Suing Chargers Doctor for Malpractice in 2020 Season (B/R)
• Nebraska Contacts Urban Meyer Regarding Open Coaching Position (CBS Sports)
• Manti Te’o Makes First Public Appearance at Notre Dame Since 2012 Catfishing Scheme (USA Today)

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