The Sportsletter - Touchdown Tuesday

BY JEFF YODER

SEP. 20, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

Monday Night Football blowouts got the Eagles and Bills riding high after two weeks. More MLB clinching scenarios welcome the hunt for October. Fall is on the menu, and we're ordering more sports. 

Letter Rip!

NFL PICK 'EM

Week 2 Leaderboard

Congratulations to our Week 2 winner, Christopher L! Christopher went a ridiculous 13-2 in his Week 2 picks (check your email for prize details). Four others went 12-3 this weekend.

Week 2 Leaderboard

1. Cklong01 (13-2)

T2. Goat (12-3)

T2. Ronald K. (12-3)

T2. DesertGolfLegend (12-3)

T2. Kpete (12-3)

Let’s reset the points! We’ll keep track of our season-long leaderboard as the year rolls on, but you can join the fun at any time for a shot at weekly prizes. Week 3 picks can be made until Sunday.

Thursday Night Football Games Not Included to Allow Players to Make Picks Until Sunday Morning

NFL

Birds & Bills Deliver MNF Blowouts

Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images

Philadelphia & Buffalo Dominate MNF Doubleheader as Quarterbacks Take Over

A double dose of Monday Night Football clashes ended relatively early. The Bills put the beatdown on the Titans in yet another eye-popping performance in Buffalo. In the late game, the Eagles got off to a blistering start against the Vikings before cruising to a 21-point win. Both teams are now 2-0, and they look like two of the best teams through Week 2.

Bills def. Titans (41-7)

Another Josh Allen performance for the ages! The Bills and Titans were all knotted up at 7-7 after the first quarter, but it was all Buffalo the rest of the way. QB Josh Allen (26/38, 317 yards, 4 TDs) lit up the Tennessee defense with a 24-point third quarter. WR Stefon Diggs (12 receptions, 148 yards, 3 TDs) was a ball-hawk all night long. It took the Bills six quarters into the 2022 season before they were forced to punt the ball. Ironically, they recovered a muff then scored a touchdown. Buffalo (2-0) now boasts a 72-17 point differential after two weeks against the Rams and Titans — both teams made the playoffs a year ago. AFC, beware.

Eagles def. Vikings (24-7)

The question marks in Philadelphia may have been answered. QB Jalen Hurts was entering a “prove it” season after the team loaded up their receiver corps, and prove it he has. Hurts ignited the Eagles offense with a 14-0 start behind 10 straight completions. Philly led 24-7 at the break before both teams failed to scored in the second half. Hurts was lethal through the air (26/31, 333 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and on the ground (11 carries, 57 yards, 2 TDs). He became the second Eagles quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for two touchdowns in a single game (Michael Vick, 2010). The Eagles logged three interceptions — two from Darius Slay — and they're now 2-0. Hurts has accounted for over 700 yards and 4 TDs in two games.

Additional Storylines

B/R: Josh Allen & Stefon Diggs Make Case for Top QB-WR Combo as Bills Rout Titans

CBS Sports: Jalen Hurts & Darius Slay Star as Philly Stomps Minnesota

MLB

Mets Secure October

Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Mets Clinch Playoff Spot for First Time Since 2016 Behind Max Scherzer’s Perfection

It’s magic number season. If you don’t know what that means, magic numbers are the number of wins needed and losses by the nearest competitor to clinch for MLB teams on the cusp of the playoffs. Monday night saw the Mets nab a playoff berth behind Max Scherzer’s perfect six innings. The Mets beat the Brewers (7-2). Scherzer was pulled due to a pitch count after returning from the IL. Meanwhile, the Astros wrapped up the AL West by shutting out the Rays (4-0). Combined with the Dodgers locking up a playoff spot earlier this month, three teams have now secured a postseason berth. It’ll be a few days until the next playoff spots get locked up. Let’s take a look at where each team stands.

Clinched Division

NL West: Dodgers (101-44)

AL West: Astros (97-51)

Clinched Playoff Berth

NL East: Mets (94-55)

Projected Division Winners

NL Central: Cardinals (87-61)

AL East: Yankees (88-58)

AL Central: Guardians (80-67)

NL Wild Card Race

IN: Braves (92-55)

IN: Padres (81-66)

IN: Phillies (80-66)

OUT: Brewers (78-69)

AL Wild Card Races

IN: Blue Jays (83-64)

IN: Rays (82-65)

IN: Mariners (81-65)

OUT: White Sox (76-71)

The Cardinals and Braves are next on the clinch list. The Yankees can get there soon, too, but the AL East is getting tight down the stretch. We’ll have daily look-ins as the playoff picture shakes out.

Additional Storylines

MLB: Guardians Face White Sox in 3-Game Series With AL Central Title on the Line

ESPN: 2022 MLB Playoffs: Clinching Scenarios, Bracket & Schedule

CFB

AP Poll: The Powers That Be

Photo: Ben Jackson / Getty Images

Top-10 Unhinged, But Top-25 Teams Get A Shakeup

A weekend of wild finishes in college football brought chaos to teams 11-25 in the AP Poll, but the Top-10 remains in balance. It appears seven juggernauts are on the way towards another CFB Playoff picture full of powerhouses. The usual suspects are off to blazing starts. Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson are all hot.

What’s Coming: The Crimson Tide will get tested in October with three ranked matchups, including #10 Arkansas and #11 Tennessee. Clemson gets ranked ACC foes in the next two weeks, including #12 NC State. Georgia should roll through October, and both Michigan and Ohio State will see #14 Penn State as their biggest challenger until November.

AP Top-10

1. Georgia (3-0) | —

2. Alabama (3-0) | —

3. Ohio State (3-0) | —

4. Michigan (3-0) | —

5. Clemson (3-0) | —

6. Oklahoma (3-0) | —

7. USC (3-0) | —

8. Kentucky (3-0) | ↑1

9.Oklahoma State (3-0) | ↓1

10. Arkansas (3-0) | —

🔥 Who's Hot: #14 Penn State (↑8) | #15 Oregon (↑10)

❄️ Who's Cold: #19 BYU (↓7) | #25 Miami (↓12) | Michigan State (↓14)

Full AP Top-25

Additional Storylines

ESPN+: Ranking College Football’s 33 Unbeaten Teams

CBS Sports: College Football Week 3 Winners, Losers & Overreactions

THE STORYLINES

🎾 The Best in Men’s Tennis

Who’s the best in men’s tennis? It depends how you measure it. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all have credible claims to the greatest of all-time. Here are a few ways to consider their gaudy stats. (NY Times)

⛳️ Presidents Cup Spice

The clubhouse at Quail Hollow, the host course of this year’s Presidents Cup — which, every two years, pits a team of America’s top players against the world’s best from countries outside of Europe — is a pretty grand manse in and of itself. (Golf.com)

🏈 The CFB Hot Seats

We’re only three weeks into the college football season, but the seats are hot. The stakes are high, the pressure is immense, and the movement, starting with the hiring and firing of head coaches, is reaching a frenzied, unsustainable pace. (Bleacher Report)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Bucs WR Mike Evans Suspended 1 Game for Hit on Saints’ Marshon Lattimore (CBS Sports)
• LIV Commissioner Greg Norman in Washington DC to Defend Saubi-Backed League (ESPN)
• Oregon Issues Apology for Students’ Anti-Morman Chant at BYU Game (SI)
• MLS Investigating Allegations of D.C. United Player’s Racial Slur (Yahoo! Sports)

• Chiefs LB Willie Gay Suspended 4 Games for NFL Conduct Policy Violation (USA Today)

• Las Vegas Police Investigating Fan Who Hit Kyler Murray in Face on Sunday (CNN)

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