The Sportsletter - Super Bowl Hangover

BY JEFF YODER

FEB. 14, 2023  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

The Super Bowl hangover hit the sports media world yesterday. Hopefully you recovered, too. As Kansas City prepares for a parade to kickoff the NFL's offseason, we'll get it started early with today's NFL offseason preview. Plus, there's a new No. 1 in college hoops and the Champions League returns today. Sports seasons change, but we'll be right here in the inbox at the same time.

Letter Rip!

NFL

The 2023 NFL Offseason Preview

Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images

The NFL Offseason Schedule & Storylines to Watch Over the Next 3 Months

The Monday after the Super Bowl is full of emotions as a long and arduous sports season comes to a close. Yes, there will be a parade in Kansas City tomorrow. But for the other 31 teams in the league, it’s back to the drawing board. That’s especially true for the runner-up Eagles who have as many potential free agents as anyone. The games are played in the fall, but the rosters are built in the spring.

Teams will have decisions to make regarding the franchise tag in the coming days, and the scouting combine will return to Indy at the end of the month. From there, free agency will open in March when the new league year starts, and the QB carousel — along with other top-tier free agents — will begin shifting the league landscape for 2023. The NFL Draft rounds out April, and then we’ll push pause on NFL action for a few months. Here’s a look at the offseason schedule and all the names (quarterbacks) we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the offseason roster game of musical chairs.

NFL Offseason Schedule

Feb. 16 — Franchise Tag Designations

Feb. 28 — NFL Scouting Combine

Mar. 15 — Start of New League Year (Free Agency & Trade Market)

Mar 26 — Annual League Meetings

Apr. 17 — Offseason Workout Programs

Apr. 27-29 — 2023 NFL Draft

May 5 — Rookie Minicamps

Quarterback Storylines We’ll Be Watching

QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers) 

QB Derek Carr (Raiders) 

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers) 

QB Lamar Jackson (Ravens) 

QB Daniel Jones (Giants) 

Other Players (Free Agency, Trade Request or Retirement)

RB Josh Jacobs (LVR), RB Miles Sanders (PHI), WR DeAndre Hopkins (ARI), TE Dalton Schultz (DAL), TE Hayden Hurst (CIN), C Jason Kelcee (PHI), OT Orlando Brown (KC), OT Jack Conklin (CLE), DT Dalvin Tomlinson (NYG), DE Bradley Chubb (MIA), LB Roquan Smith (BAL), S Jessie Bates III (CIN), S Jimmie Ward (SF)

Before the free agents find new homes, there’s already an early look at the odds for Super Bowl LVIII. The Chiefs are favorites to repeat with the 49ers, Bills, Eagles and Bengals rounding out the top-five.

2024 Super Bowl Odds

1. Chiefs (+550)

2. 49ers (+600)

3. Bills (+650)

4. Eagles (+800)

5. Bengals (+900)

6. Cowboys (+1600)

7. Chargers (+2200)

8. Jaguars (+2800)

9. Lions (+3000)

10. Dolphins (+3500)

Full List of 2024 Super Bowl Odds

That’s a wrap on our 2022-23 NFL season coverage. We’ll have highlights from the Chiefs parade later this week where one can only assume an intoxicated Travis Kelce will provide some sound bites.

Super Bowl LVII Poll Result: Yesterday, we asked readers if you thought the James Bradberry holding penalty in SBLVII should’ve been called. Nearly 2/3 of the team (64.6%) said no. Even if you agreed with the call, I think we all wanted to see a better finish to an epic game.

Additional Storylines

ESPN+: Making a Case for Chiefs-Eagles as the Best Super Bowl Ever

SI: Super Bowl LVII Takeaways: Penalty Overshadows Eagles’ Dominant 2022 Season

Sporting News: Super Bowl 2023 Winners & Losers: Mahomes & Reid Solidify Chiefs Dynasty

NCAA

Alabama Makes History at No. 1

Photo: Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images

Men: Alabama Reaches No. 1 for 1st Time in 20 Years -- Women: South Carolina Buries LSU to Stay Unbeaten

For the first time in almost a month, there’s a new No. 1 atop the men’s college basketball rankings. Alabama and Purdue swapped spots at No. 1 and No. 3 while Houston stayed at No. 2 in this week’s AP Poll. It’s Bama’s first time back on top in 20 years. There’s still a lot of parity as the top-10 continues to shift. In the women’s game, No. 1 South Carolina put their stamp on the poll with a 24-point blowout against No. 3 LSU (88-64) to remain the only undefeated team. Could they run the table and finish the perfect season? Here’s the latest look at the top teams in college hoops.

Men’s AP Top-10

1. Alabama (22-3) | ↑2

2. Houston (23-2) | —

3. Purdue (23-3) | ↓2

4. UCLA (21-4) | ↑3

5. Kansas (20-5) | ↑4

6. Texas (20-5) | ↓1

7. Virginia (19-4) | ↑1

8. Arizona (22-4) | ↓4

9. Baylor (19-6) | ↑5

10. Tennessee (19-6) | ↓4

Men’s AP Top-25

Women’s AP Top-10

1. South Carolina (25-0) | —

2. Indiana (23-1) | —

3. Stanford (24-3) | ↑3

4. Utah (22-2) | ↑3

5. LSU (23-1) | ↓2

6. UConn (22-4) | ↓2

7. Iowa (20-5) | ↓2

8. Maryland (21-5) | —

9. Duke (22-3) | —

10. Notre Dame (20-4) | —

Women’s AP Top-25

Additional Storylines

B/R: The Most Mind-Boggling Stats This College Basketball Season

US News: Alabama Hoops No. 1 in AP Top 25 for 1st Time in 20 Years

NCAA: No. 1 South Carolina Women Hands No. 3 LSU First Loss to Remain Sole Unbeaten Team

SOCCER

The Champions League is Back

Photo: Richard Julliart / Getty Images

Who Holds the Advantage as the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League Begins Today

After a holiday break and a winter transfer window, Europe’s highest-stakes soccer tournament returns to the forefront today with the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League. The 32 best clubs in Europe played a six-match showcase in the Group Stage last fall, but the spring slate is a series of two-leg knockouts leading up to the finale June 10. Bayern Munich was the only club to run the table in the Group Stage with a spotless 6-0-0 record. They’ll open the knockouts against PSG in a clash between two of the top-three scoring teams.

Today’s Schedule (Round of 16: Leg 1)

PSG vs. Bayern Munich (3:00 pm ET)

Milan vs. Tottenham (3:00 pm ET)

Tomorrow’s Schedule (Round of 16: Leg 1)

Club Brugge vs. Benfica (3:00 pm ET)

Borussia Dortmund vs. Chelsea (3:00 pm ET)

Rest of Round of 16 (Leg 1): Feb. 21-22

The Knockout Stage brings the Champions League back to the spotlight today, and we’ll have coverage for the next three months until we crown the champs of Europe.

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Champions League Bold Predictions

ESPN: Picking a Champions League Winner: Who Profiles Most Like a Champion in 2022-23?

🎥 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA

Donovan Mitchell Drops 41 in Cavs’ Win

Damian Lillard Pours in 40, Eight 3s as Blazers Blast Lakers

Kyrie Irving Scores 26 in 4th Quarter But Mavs Fall Short

🏒 NHL

Panthers Top Wild (2-1) on Aleksander Barkov’s Shootout Winner

Tim Stutzle Tallies 4 Points & OT Winner as Senators Rally Past Flames

Dylan Larkin Scores Twice as Red Wings Win 3rd Straight

🏀 NCAA Scoreboard

M: Texas Tech def. #6 Texas (74-67)

M: #16 Miami def. North Carolina (80-72)

M: #9 Baylor def. West Virginia (79-67)

W: #2 Indiana def. #13 Ohio State (83-59)

W: #22 Iowa State def. #17 Texas (66-61)

🏒 NCAA Hockey

No. 16 Northeastern Beats No. 9 Harvard to Win Beanpot Championship in Shootout (3-2)

THE STORYLINES

⚽️ Champions League Bold Predictions

Three and a half months after the Champions League entered hibernation, Europe's premier club competition returns on Tuesday with a barnstorming slate of fixtures. Here's what we're looking out for in some of this week's games. (CBS Sports)

📺 Ad Meter for SBLVII Commercials

Ad Meter panelists were tasked with voting on all 51 commercials from Super Bowl Sunday, rating them on a scale from 1 to 10. Here are complete results in order of average score, with The Farmer’s Dog claiming the crown. (USA Today)

🏀 Breaking Down the NBA Trade Deadline

The final 24 hours before last week’s NBA trade deadline saw an incredible 16 trades completed involving 49 players (nearly 10% of the league's total) and 25 teams reshuffling the deck. Let's break down the winners and losers. (ESPN+)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Michigan State Cancels All Athletic Events for 48 Hours After Campus Shooting (24/7 Sports)

• MLB Makes Extra-Innings Ghost Runner Rule Permanent for Regular-Season Games (CBS Sports)

• Chiefs Backup QB Chad Henne Announces Retirement After Super Bowl Win (NBC Sports)

• New Mexico State Basketball Cancels Season Amid Hazing Scandal (SI)
• Washington Nationals Owner Ted Lerner Dies at Age 97 (Yahoo! Sports)
• Jets Hire Passing Game Coordinator With Ties to Derek Carr & Ryan Tannehill (ESPN)

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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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