The Sportsletter - Week 5 Take-5 🖐️

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 9, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Welcome Back 👋

A dynamite sports weekend had plenty for everyone. Simone Biles is still ridiculous. Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 juggernaut. The men's marathon world record was obliterated in Chicago. MLB playoff underdogs have taken over. And the 49ers just handed the Cowboys their worst loss in a decade (32 points). Stephen A. Smith loved it.

After Week 5, let’s take five (minutes) to digest everything that happened.

Letter Rip!

  NFL   

Purdy Great: Week 5 Take-5 🖐️

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

49ers & Eagles Stay Undefeated (5-0), But Week 5 Leveled the Playing Field for Everybody Else

They had us fooled, twice. Those AFC East teams and the Dallas Cowboys, that is. The Dolphins, Bills and Cowboys took turns at our No. 1 spot in the NFL power rankings over the first five weeks, only to squander the opportunity as soon as they reached the pinnacle. No more love. We've learned our lesson. The Bills fell to the Jags in London, but the Dolphins turned back into a track meet against the Giants. Instead, our focus at the top belongs to two teams, and mostly one. The Eagles and 49ers were both winners on Sunday as they reached the 5-0 mark. Philly has done it with five relatively close matchups, but the Niners are just embarrassing everyone. San Francisco handed Dallas a beatdown on Sunday Night Football (42-10) for their worst loss in a decade, and I think it’s safe to say they’re the best team in football.

Week 5 brought a lot of shock-factor games beyond the NFC powers. The Bengals bounced back with a Burrow-to-Chase connection that never stopped (15 catches, 192 yards, 3 TDs), and the Lions, Dolphins, Jets and Saints were exceptional. On another Sunday full of storylines, we’ll take five and keep it moving.

Week 5 Take-5 🖐️

1) Touchdown Hat Tricks: WR Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) & TE George Kittle (49ers) Each Had 3-TD Games to Lead Week 5

2) Belichick Blowout 2.0: The Patriots lost to the Saints (34-0) & They’ve Now Lost the Last 2 Games by a Total Score of 72-3 — The Worst 2-Game Spell in Franchise History

3) London Letdown: The Jaguars Shocked the Bills in London (25-20) Behind Two 4th-Quarter TDs From RB Travis Etienne

4) Dolphin Track Meet: Miami Returned to Their High-Octane Offense With a Stat-Breaking Win Over the Giants (31-16) That Saw Dolphins’ RB De’Von Achane & WR Tyreek Hill Combine for 300-Plus Yards

5) The Undefeated Club: The Eagles beat the Rams (23-14) and the 49ers crushed the Cowboys (42-10) to Stay Unbeaten (Both 5-0) — Dak Prescott Threw 3 INTs

All Week 5 Scores & Highlights

Bears def. Commanders (40-20)

Jaguars def. Bills (25-20)

Falcons def. Texans (21-19)

Lions def. Panthers (42-24)

Colts def. Titans (23-16)

Dolphins def. Giants (31-16)

Saints def. Patriots (34-0)

Steelers def. Ravens (17-0)

Eagles def. Rams (23-14)

Bengals def. Cardinals (34-20)

Jets def. Broncos (31-21)

Chiefs def. Vikings (27-20)

49ers def. Cowboys (42-10)

Standings: Updated NFL Standings

Monday Night Football

Packers at Raiders (8:15 pm ET)

Read More

Video: Stephen A. Smith Reacts to 49ers Blowing Out Cowboys on SNF

ESPN: Fired-Up Jets Help Nathaniel Hackett Take Revenge in Denver

Yahoo! Sports: Patrick Mahomes Becomes 1st QB Under 30 to Defeat All 31 Other NFL Teams

CBS Sports: Dolphins RB De’Von Achane Sets Multiple NFL Records in Week 5; Most TDs in 1st 4 Games, 100+ Yards & 10+ YPC in 3 Straight Games

  MLB   

Uh-O's: Rangers Put Orioles In Panic Mode 🚨

Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Rangers Lead O’s in ALDS (2-0), Twins Knot Series With Astros (1-1) While Underdogs Take 1-0 Leads in NLDS

Chaos in the DS! After the first full weekend of the Divisional Series in the MLB Playoffs, three underdogs hold leads in their respective series. The other one? It’s tied (1-1). Take the seeds and throw them out. Baseball’s postseason appears set for drama in the second round. The #4 Phillies, #5 Rangers, and #6 Diamondbacks all hold series leads. Let’s see how we got here:

ALDS Gm 2: Rangers def. Orioles (11-8)

After a narrow win in Game 1 (3-2), the Rangers put the Orioles in panic mode with an 11-8 win in Game 2 behind Mitch Garver’s grand slam. Texas taking a 2-0 lead in two road games spells trouble for Baltimore with Games 3 and 4 heading back to Arlington. The Rangers are 4-0 in the playoffs, all on the road, and they’ve outscored opponents 25-11. TEX Leads Series (2-0)

ALDS Gm 2: Twins def. Astros (6-2)

After the Astros got a classic gem from Justin Verlander in Game 1 (6-4), the Twins bounced back to take Game 2 (6-2) and square up the series. Carlos Correa popped off in Game 2 to haunt his former team, tallying a 3-for-4 night with 3 RBIs. The Twins can take pride in splitting the first two games in Houston, and it’s back to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4. Series Tied (1-1)

NLDS Gm 1: Phillies def. Braves (3-0)

The rivalry everyone’s watching started with a shocking shutout in Atlanta. The Phillies took Game 1 (3-0) with a Bryce Harper solo blast and a bullpen that ran seven deep. After the year the Braves had, an opening-game shutout is not what you expected from Atlanta. PHI Leads Series (1-0)

NLDS Gm 1: Diamondbacks def. Dodgers (11-2)

What’s gotten into Arizona? The Diamondbacks didn’t just beat the Dodgers in Game 1, they obliterated L.A. from the get-go. Arizona scored nine runs in the first two innings thanks to home runs from Gabriel Moreno and Corbin Carroll. That 9-0 lead took the air out of Dodger Stadium in a heartbeat. Clayton Kershaw’s postseason struggles continued. He was pulled in the first inning after giving up six runs. Danger zone for the Dodgers. ARI Leads Series (1-0)

Today’s Schedule

NLDS Gm 2: Phillies at Braves (6:07 pm ET)

NLDS Gm 2: D-Backs at Dodgers (9:07 pm ET)

Read More

MLB: Road Warriors: Rangers Staying Resilient Away From Home in Postseason

CBS Sports: Carlos Correa Leads Twins Past Former Team & Evens Series With Astros

  CFB   

🏈 AP Poll: Red River Shake Up

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Oklahoma Knocks Off Texas While Notre Dame, Washington State, USC, Miami & Others Find Themselves Slipping

A massive Saturday in College Football threw a wrench in the polls with only a few more weeks until the first CFB Playoff Rankings reveal. The Red River Rivalry matchup between #3 Texas and #12 Oklahoma was as advertised, but the Sooners scored last in a back-and-forth battle (34-30) to take control of the Big 12. Oklahoma is now in the top-5, and Texas has tumbled to No. 9.

Elsewhere across College Football, we saw a number of wild finishes that impacted ranked teams. No. 8 USC needed three overtimes to hold off Arizona. Notre Dame crumbled at the hands of Louisville, and the Irish are now eliminated from CFB Playoff consideration. But the most disheartening loss of all goes to Miami after the Hurricanes ran a play instead of kneeling out the clock. They fumbled, and Georgia Tech scored a last-second game-winning touchdown (23-20). The Hurricanes are the butt of the joke from Saturday. Here’s a look at top highlights and the new AP Poll:

Notable CFB Week 6 Highlights

#1 Georgia def. #20 Kentucky (51-13)

#2 Michigan def. Minnesota (52-10)

#12 Oklahoma def. #3 Texas (34-30)

#4 Ohio State def. Maryland (37-17)

#5 Florida State def. Virginia Tech (39-17)

#9 USC def. Arizona (43-41, 3OT)

#25 Louisville def. #10 Notre Dame (33-20)

#11 Alabama def. Texas A&M (26-20)

AP Poll (Top-10)
1. Georgia (6-0) | —

2. Michigan (6-0) | —

3. Ohio State (5-0) | ↑1

4. Florida State (5-0) | ↑1

5. Oklahoma (6-0) | ↑7

6. Penn State (5-0) | —

7. Washington (5-0) | —

8. Oregon (5-0) | —

9. Texas (5-1) | ↓6

10. USC (6-0) | ↓1

Rest of Top-25: 11. Alabama (5-1) | 12. North Carolina (12-0) | 13. Ole Miss (5-1) | 14. Louisville (6-0) | 15. Oregon State (5-1) | 16. Utah (4-1) | 17. Duke (4-1) | 18. UCLA (4-1) | 19. Washington State (4-1) | 20. Tennessee (4-1) | 21. Notre Dame (5-2) | 22. LSU (4-2) | 23. Kansas (5-1) | 24. Kentucky (5-1) | 25. Miami (4-1)

Read More

AP: Gabriel Tosses Late TD Pass to Boost #12 Oklahoma Over #3 Texas in Red River Rivalry

SI: College Football Fans Stunned When Miami Fumbles Its Season Away Against Georgia Tech

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

Lightning Round ⚡️

Photo: Tim Clayton-Corbis / Getty Images

🏅 Gymnastics: Simone Biles Wins 22nd World Title

Simone Biles is back in her dominant form at the World Championships in Belgium. She won two more medals on Sunday (five total, four golds) with a stellar performance on the beam and floor exercise. This is her first worlds since 2019 prior to the Tokyo Olympics withdrawal.

🏀 WNBA Finals: Aces Take Game 1

The Las Vegas Aces outscored the New York Liberty by 20 in the second half to swipe Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday (99-82). Vegas got 91 of their 99 points from the big four — Jackie Young (26), Kelsey Plum (26), Chelsea Gray (20) and A’ja Wilson (19). Game 2 is slated for Wednesday.

👟 Running: Kiptum Breaks Marathon World Record

History at the Chicago Marathon! Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum smashed the men’s marathon world record Sunday morning in Chicago with a 2:00:35. He broke Eliud Kipchoge’s record (2:01:09) by 34 seconds. Sifan Hassan also broke the women’s course record for Chicago (2:13:38).

🏎️ F1: Verstappen Wins 3rd Straight F1 Crown

Nothing new here. Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday to capture his third consecutive Formula 1 title. He’s won 14 out of 17 F1 races this season in an unbelievable streak of success.

  NEWS   📰 

• Celtics & Payton Pritchard Agree to 4-Year, $30 Million Extension (B/R)
• French Soccer Match Abandoned After GK Hurt by Firework (ESPN)
• Bryce James, Other Son of LeBron, Receives Offer From Ohio State (CBS Sports)

• Eagles WR A.J. Brown Catches Fan Sneaking Into Locker Room (SI)

• Lions LB Alex Anazlone’s Parents Stuck in Israel Amid Conflict (Yahoo! Sports)

• Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Penalized for Giving Football to Mom After TD Celebration (USA Today)

• A.J. Allmendinger Wins Charlotte NASCAR Race, Bubba Wallace & Kyle Busch Eliminated (Sporting News)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Tonight's Must-Watch List

MLB Playoffs

NLDS Gm 2: Phillies at Braves (6:07 pm ET)

NLDS Gm 2: D-backs at Dodgers (9:07 pm ET)

NFL (Monday Night Football)

Packers at Raiders (8:15 pm ET)

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

Please consider supporting The Sportsletter, an independently operated and bootstrapped publication, and you'll receive our exclusive Sunday edition. Many thanks to everyone who already supports us!

Did Someone Forward You This Email? Subscribe Here
Feedback? Contact Our Editor: Jeff@TheSportsletter.com
Not Loving The Letter? Unsubscribe

Copyright © 2023 The Sportsletter
717 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103