The Sportsletter - Deebo Speed 💨

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 4, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

NFL Week 5 is in the books, and so is the MLB playoff picture. Monday saw an NFL divisional rivalry in California and a playoff drought end for Philadelphia. We go to East to West in today's newsletter before the Champions League returns today. But first, we've got another winner... 

Letter Rip!

NFL PICK 'EM

Congratulations to our Week 4 winner, Adam Y. Adam went 13-1 for the best weekly record so far this season. Check your email for a personal email with prize details. Here are the top scorers from Week 4. We'll reset the points and run it back for Week 5 (button below).

NFL Pick ‘Em Leaderboard

1. Adam Y. (13-1)

T2. Dogface4 (12-2)

T2. DLitke20 (12-2)

T2. Craig Stillman (12-2)

T2. MBRONE (12-2)

T2. PistolPete (12-2)

T2. Adam R (12-2)

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

NFL

NFC West? Anyone's Guess

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

Deebo Samuel & 49ers Rip Apart Rams on Monday Night Football (24-9); All 4 NFC West Teams Now 2-2

Another year, another rough road ahead for the NFC West. In recent history, the division has eaten itself alive from the inside out by pummeling each other in one of the toughest divisions in football. That seems to be the case in 2022. The defending champion L.A. Rams traveled up the coast to San Fracisco on Monday Night Football, but it was Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers who stole the show. Jimmy G (16/27, 239 yards, 1 TD) dumped the ball off to human highlight reel Deebo Samuel (6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD) who accounted for 1/3 of San Francisco’s offfense. For the Rams, the offense moved the football but settled for nothing but field goals all night. Rams QB Matthew Stafford was sacked seven times, including two apiece from Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam. It was 14-9 in the fourth quarter before the Niners put the game out of reach.

QB Comparison

J. Garoppolo (SF): 16/27, 239 yards, 1 TD

M. Stafford (LAR): 32/48, 254 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

QB Pressure

49ers: 17 Pressures | 7 Sacks

Rams: 4 Pressures | 0 Sacks

Watch: 49ers Defense Stifles Rams on MNF (24-9)

The NFC West Test

With all four teams in the division sitting at 2-2, it’s anybody’s guess who holds the edge. San Francisco lost QB Trey Lance, but Garoppolo has kept the train moving. Geno Smith and the Seahawks appear more formidable than most thought. And the Cardinals and Rams still have high-powered offensive potential. The division sent three teams to the playoffs last season. Expect more of the same in 2022. If, that is, they don’t canabalize each other all year.

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: 49ers Defense Clamps Down, Deebo Does the Rest

ESPN: Rams’ Bobby Wagner Flattens Fan Who Evades Security on Field in MNF

Yahoo! Sports: DeMeco Ryans’ 49ers Defense Sucks the Life Out of Sean McVay’s Rams Offense

MLB

Phillies Grab Final Spot

Photo: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Schwarber’s 2-HR Night Helps Phillies Grab Final NL Wild Card Spot

The playoffs are set! October is officially ready to roll. The Philadelphia Phillies claimed the final postseason berth on Monday night in Houston with a 3-0 win against the Astros. The win eliminated the Brewers from playoff contention and ended a decade-long drought for Philadelphia. They hadn’t reached the postseason since 2011. Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs while pitcher Aaron Nola went seven innings with nine Ks in a shutout performance. Philadelphia (87-73) is 3-0 through three days of October. They’ll finish the series against the Astros over the next two days as they battle the Padres (88-72) for positioning between the fifth and sixth seed. The October field of 12 is officially set (see below).

Watch: Phillies Return to Postseason for First Time Since 2011

MLB Playoff Picture

American League

AL East: Yankees (98-61)

AL Central: Guardians (90-70)

AL West: Astros (104-56)

AL Wild Card: Blue Jays (91-69)

AL Wild Card: Mariners (87-72)

AL Wild Card: Rays (86-74)

National League

NL East: Braves (100-60)

NL Central: Cardinals (92-67)

NL West: Dodgers (110-50)

NL Wild Card: Mets (98-61)

NL Wild Card: Padres (88-72)

NL Wild Card: Phillies (87-73)

MLB Quick-Hitters

Pujols Slugs 703 for More History: There’s no slowing down Albert Pujols. The Cardinals legend hit his 703rd homer Monday to break a sixth-inning tie against the Pirates. St. Louis won the game on a walk-off walk (3-2), and it was Pujols’ 263rd career go-ahead home run, passing Barry Bonds (262) for the most in MLB history.

Severino Slays Rangers: Luis Severino threw seven innings of no-hit ball before getting pulled against the Rangers in a 3-1 win. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge stayed at 61 home runs while the season closes in on its final few days.

Blue Jays Clinch Top WC: Toronto took down Baltimore on Monday (5-1) thanks to Jose Berrios’ five-K night to officially secure the top Wild Card spot in the AL Playoffs. That means the Blue Jays will open the postseason with home-field advantage in the Wild Card round.

NWSL

The Shocking NWSL Report

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

U.S. Soccer Investigation Into Women’s Soccer Reveals Long List of Systemic Failures

The NWSL’s 22-match regular season is officially over, but a shocking report on Monday left a blemish on the women’s soccer league in 2022. An independent U.S. Soccer investigation found that emotional and sexual abuse were “systemic” throughout NWSL management, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players. The investigation was launched after former NWSL players came forward with allegations of harassment involving former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley. Then the floodgates opened.

What Happened Recently?

After Riley’s misconduct, NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird stepped down. Last season, five of the 10 head coaches in the league were fired or let go amid accusations of misconduct. The investigators — a group headed by U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates — interviewed more than 200 individuals before reporting systemic and widespread abuse throughout the league.

NWSL Postseason Incoming

Despite the controversy, soccer continues to be played, and the NWSL season will now enter the playoffs with a shadow over the league. The OL Reign captured the NWSL Shield for the top team in 2022. They’ll hold the No. 1 overall seed.

NWSL Playoff Bracket

1. OL Reign (40 points)

2. Portland Thorns FC (39 points)

3. San Diego Wave FC (36 points)

4. Houston Dash (36 points)

5. Kansas City Current (36 points)

6. Chicago Red Stars (33 points)

NWSL Playoff Schedule

Quarterfinals: Oct. 16

Semifinals: Oct. 23

Finals: Oct. 29

Additional Storylines

SI: NWSL Playoff Picture is Set

USA Today: NWSL Owners Should Pay Price for Indifference to Player Abuse

NWSL: National Women’s Soccer League Releases Statement in Response to Yates Report

THE STORYLINES

🏈 College Football’s Biggest Surprises

At the start of the 2022 college football season, the dominance of Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia was one of the sport's predominant storylines. They appeared to be so far ahead of the pack that it was almost impossible to see anyone else winning the national title. (ESPN+)

🏀 The NBA’s Most Overrated Teams

The NBA is loaded with individual talent and several teams that could reasonably be expected to compete for a title. It's easy to fall for a number of those contenders, but increased parity throughout the league might lead to heartbreak. (Bleacher Report)

⚾️ MLB Power Rankings: Does Momentum Matter?

The 2022 Major League Baseball season has two days left. We've seen an incredible regular season and it's entirely possible the best is yet to come (can it be way better, please, Baseball Gods?). (CBS Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Broncos RB Javonte Williams Out for Season With Torn ACL (ESPN)
• Fan Dies After Fall From Escalator Inside Steelers’ Stadium (SI)
• Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Ruled Out vs. Jets in Week 5 (B/R)
• White Sox Manager Tony La Russa to Retire at Age 78 (CBS Sports)

• Wisconsin Football Fires Head Coach Paul Chryst After 8 Seasons (FOX Sports)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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