The Sportsletter - Statement Makers 🔊

BY JEFF YODER

NOV. 13, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Welcome Back 👋

Statement wins across college football and the NFL were the story of the weekend. Just hours after we checked out on Friday, the Michigan penalty set the sports world ablaze. You can read all about it in Section 2, but Week 10 flipped the NFL standings upside down. And we start there -- where one rookie quarterback is quickly becoming the next big star.

Letter Rip!

  NFL  

Week 10: Sunday Statement Games 🔊

Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images

Why Stop at Rookie of the Year? Texans QB C.J. Stroud is Making His Case for MVP…

A few of the NFL’s glamour teams were sidelined in Week 10, including the Chiefs, Eagles and Dolphins (you may have seen Travis Kelce in Argentina for a Taylor Swift concert). That left a small void in our Week 10 recaps, but no fear. C.J. Stroud is here. The Texans rookie quarterback is quickly rising beyond the unanimous rookie of the year candidate and into the talk for MVP. Stroud threw just his second interception of the season on Sunday, but he bounced back from the set-back and engineered a winning drive for Houston against the Bengals. Against all odds, the Texans (5-4) are above .500 after the trade deadline for the first time since 2019. We'll pick seven stories for a good ol' 7-on-7 drill to rewind Week 10.

7-On-7 Drill (7 Storylines)

Stroud Outlasts Burrow in Ohio

Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud went toe-to-toe with Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Cincinnati, and despite throwing his second INT of the season in a crucial late stage, Stroud (356 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) marched into field goal range for the game-winner (30-27). It was his second straight game-winning drive, and both the Texans and Bengals are 5-4. Stroud even hit the "O-H" celly after a touchdown run to rep his alma mater (Ohio State).

Dobbs Gettin’ Dubs

Get ready for the Josh Dobbs underdog (coming soon). Minnesota’s newly-acquired rookie QB is now 2-0 since joining the purple and gold. Dobbs and the Vikings rung up 21 points in the second quarter en route to a 27-19 win over the Saints, and Dobbs himself was 23/34, 312 total yards and 2 TDs. Looks like the Vikings got a steal (and maybe Kirk Cousins' future replacement).

Browns Rally Against Ravens

The biggest comeback of Sunday’s Week 10 action belonged to the Browns. Cleveland trailed the Ravens for 59:20 out of 60 minutes, but they rallied from a 31-17 deficit to beat the Baltimore (33-31) on a walk-off field goal. QB Deshaun Watson had an abysmal start (1-for-9), but he engineered the comeback to keep Cleveland a half-game back of Baltimore in the AFC North.

Welcome Back, Kyler Murray

After missing the first eight weeks with an ACL recovery, Kyler Murray finally returned for the Cardinals. Arizona’s season may be void of hope (2-8), but a win for the Cards over the Falcons (25-23) was a good sign that Murray’s arm and legs are back to normal. He finished 19/32, 282 total yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Lions Get Last Laugh in L.A.

The Lions-Chargers game in L.A. could’ve been a good candidate for Game of the Day. Both teams traded touchdowns down the stretch before Detroit got the game-winning field goal from Riley Patterson (41-38). Justin Herbert (323 yards, 4 TDs) and Jared Goff (333 yards, 2 TDs) combined for over 650 yards and 6 touchdowns in a thriller.

Cowboys on Cruise Control

The Cowboys carved up the Giants for the second time this season (49-17), and Dak Prescott (26/35, 421 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT) was brilliant, and Dallas has outscored New York 89-17 in both meetings this season.

Raiders Revived: Now 2-0 Under Pierce

The Raiders were the joke of the early season slate after a 3-5 start and a dysfunctional offense under Josh McDaniels. Suddenly, they’re 2-0 since interim head coach Antonio Pierce took over. Vegas beat the Jets on Sunday Night Football in a defensive battle (16-12).

NFL Week 10 Scores & Highlights

Bears def. Panthers (16-13)

Colts def. Patriots (10-6)

Texans def. Bengals (30-27)

Vikings def. Saints (27-19)

Steelers def. Packers (23-19)

Buccaneers def. Titans (20-6)

49ers def. Jaguars (34-3)

Browns def. Ravens (33-31)

Cardinals def. Falcons (25-23)

Lions def. Chargers (41-38)

Cowboys def. Giants (49-17)

Seahawks def. Commanders (29-26)

Raiders def. Jets (16-12)

*Teams on Bye Week: Eagles, Chiefs, Rams, Dolphins

Monday Night Football

Broncos at Bills (8:15 pm ET, ESPN)

Read More

FOX: Texans’ CJ Stroud Orchestrates 2nd Straight Game-Winning Drive to Beat Bengals

B/R: 2023 NFL Week 10: Top Takeaways For Every Team from Sunday’s Games

ESPN: Deshaun Watson & Browns Defense Lead Comeback for ‘Statement’ Win vs. Ravens

Yahoo! Sports: Lions Offense Explodes in Thrilling Last-Second Victory Over Chargers

  CFB  

Michigan vs. Everybody

Photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images

#3 Michigan Defeats #10 Penn State (24-15) the Day After Big Ten Hits Harbaugh With Sideline Suspension

The bombshell news of the weekend wasted no time breaking the internet on Friday. Shortly after we checked out for the weekend, the Big Ten handed Michigan a unique penalty in wake of the program’s sign-stealing scandal. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti’s punishment barred head coach Jim Harbaugh from being on the sidelines during games for the remainder of the season. Harbaugh can still coach practices, and he’ll be allowed on the sidelines if Michigan makes the CFB Playoff. The news broke while the team was on the plane to Happy Valley for their big Saturday clash with #10 Penn State. Despite Harbaugh’s absence, the Wolverines beat the Nittany Lions (24-15) in a defensive struggle that keeps Michigan undefeated (10-0) and sets the stage for a wild stretch run, sans Harbaugh — matchups with Maryland (6-4) and Ohio State (10-0).

Michigan’s Response: Shortly after the news, Michigan players (and even alumni like Tom Brady) simply tweeted out: “Bet.” The simply saying is slang for deal, or “okay then.” It appears to be a rally cry to symbolize the “Michigan vs. Everybody” attitude — an NIL group even launched t-shirts with the rally cry. Assistant coach Sherrone Moore cried in the post-game interviewed and thanked Coach Harbaugh.

In Short: The Michigan community clearly thinks a more thorough investigation was needed, and it will be. But much of the college football landscape sees UM’s victim mentality as tone-deaf. Rules were broken. Justice follows. Now we’ll see if this entire debacle simply lights a fire in the Wolverines leading up to the matchup with #1 Ohio State.

CFB Week 11 Scores & Highlights

#1 Ohio State def. Michigan State (38-3)

#2 Georgia def. #9 Ole Miss (52-17)

#3 Michigan def. #10 Penn State (24-15)

#4 Florida State def. Miami (27-20)

#5 Washington def. #18 Utah (35-28)

#6 Oregon def. USC (36-27)

#7 Texas def. TCU (29-26)

#8 Alabama def. Kentucky (49-21)

Bonus: #17 Oklahoma def. West Virginia (59-20) Behind QB Dillon Gabriel’s Record-Setting 473 Yards & 8 TDs

AP Poll: #1 Georgia, #2 Michigan, #3 Ohio State, #4 Florida State, #5 Washington, #6 Oregon, #7 Texas, #8 Alabama, #9 Louisville, #10 Oregon State (Next CFB Playoff Rankings Revealed Tuesday, Nov. 14)

Read More

Forbes: Here’s Why Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh is Suspended From Sideline for Last 3 Games

ESPN: Georgia Extends AP Run at No. 1 to 2nd-Best, 22 Consecutive Weeks

  NBA  

Forget Harden, Maxey to the Rescue

Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

Tyrese Maxey Notches 50-Ball as 76ers Improve to 8-1; Clippers Now 0-4 Since Acquiring James Harden

As the first month of the NBA campaign wraps up, one of the biggest early-season storylines revolves around the two teams in the James Harden trade, and they're heading in two different directions. The Los Angeles Clippers are now 0-4 since they acquired Harden from the 76ers, and Philadelphia is a league-best 8-1 to start the year. It’s safe to say the Sixers don’t miss Harden at all. The reason why is the confirmation of what many Philly fans hoped was about to happen — the superstar declaration of Tyrese Maxey. Joel Embiid won the MVP last season, and he’s the most dominating big man in basketball, but the emergence of Maxey as the #2 in a lethal 1-2 punch could be what gets Philadelphia to the next level. It certainly made Harden dispensable. Trust the process...

Maxey scored a career-high 50 points in the 76ers’ win over the Pacers on Sunday (137-126). He shot 20-32 from the floor, including 7-11 from 3-point range, and he’s now averaging 25.9 ppg, 7.5 apg, and 5.9 rpg while shooting 48% this season. Those are better numbers than Harden has posted in four years (Rockets, 2019). The Beard is currently averaging 14-6-5 with Los Angeles, and the Clippers (3-6) haven’t won since his arrival.

Watch: Tyrese Maxey Drops 50 in 76ers' Win

Other NBA Highlights

Lakers Top Suns in NBA Cup Game (122-119)

*LeBron (32 pts) and Durant (38 pts) Show Out

Mavericks Stay Hot, Trounce Clippers (144-126)

*Luka Doncic (44-6-6) Now Leads NBA in Scoring

Rockets Shock Nuggets Despite Jokic’s Trip-Dub (107-104)

*Houston on Surprising 6-3 Start to Season

Timberwolves Stay Hot, Hold Off Warriors (116-110)

*Anthony Edwards Has 33 Points, Epic Sideline Jam

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

Lightning Round ⚡️

Photo: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

⚽️ NWSL: NJ/NY Gotham FC Wins 1st NWSL Title

One year after a last-place finish, NJ/NY Gotham FC won its first NWSL Championship with a 2-1 win over OL Reign on Saturday. The opening goal from Lynn Williams made it 1-0 Gotham, but Rose Lavelle answered five minutes later (1-1). Esther Gonzalez struck the winner (2-1) just before halftime, and a scoreless second 45 was all she wrote. NJ/NY Gotham FC is the highest seed (6) to win an NWSL title. It was also Megan Rapinoe’s final game for OL Reign, and she left after six minutes with an unfortunate injury.

🏒 NHL: Blues Notch Double Hat Tricks

Among all the NHL action from the weekend, two Blues players made history in an 8-2 win over the Avalanche on Saturday. Paul Buchnevich (3) and Brayden Schenn (3) each scored a hat trick. They’re just the third pair of Blues teammates to ever record hat tricks in the same game, and the first duo since 1986.

⚽️ EPL: City & Chelsea Score 8 in Wild 4-4 Draw

The marquee Premier League clash of the weekend featured an eight-goal barrage between Man. City and Chelsea on Sunday, but it ended in a 4-4 draw. Both squads scored goals in the final five minutes. City are still leading the EPL table, but Chelsea (10th) are struggling early.

🏀 NCAAM: #12 Arizona Stuns #2 Duke at Cameron

Arizona went into Cameron Indoor and beat the 2nd-ranked Blue Devils on Friday night (78-73). All five Wildcat starters scored in double figures, and it marked the second top-5 upset of Week 1 in men’s college hoops (#4 Michigan State).

🏀 NCAAW: NC State Upsets #2 UConn

First, #1 LSU went down in the season opener. Now, #2 UConn has fallen. Unranked NC State took down the Huskies on Sunday (92-81) thanks to 33 points from Saniya Rivers. Both losses to the top-two tems sets the stage for Caitlin Clark and #3 Iowa to become this week’s #1 team. Clark (btw) just became Iowa's all-time leading scorer.

  NEWS   📰 

• Astros to Name Bench Coach Joe Espada as New Manager (CBS Sports)
• Texas A&M Fires Football Coach Jimbo Fisher After 6 Seasons (Yahoo! Sports)
• University of Arizona Considers Cutting Sports Teams Amid $240 Million Shortage (SI)
• Oilers Fire Jay Woodcroft After 3-9-1 Start to NHL Season (B/R)
• Penn State Fires Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich After Losses to Ohio State & Michigan (FOX Sports)
• Texas RB Jonathon Brooks Out for Season With Torn ACL Against TCU (ESPN)
• Taylor Swift Changes Lyrics to Shout Out Travis Kelce at Concert in Argentina (Sporting News)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️ 

Today's Must-Watch List

🏈 Monday Night Football

Broncos at Bills (8:15 pm ET, ESPN)

🏀 NBA

Knicks at Celtics (7:30 pm ET, NBATV)

Cavaliers at Kings (10:00 pm ET, NBATV)

🏒 NHL

Islanders at Oilers (8:30 pm ET, ESPN+)

Avalanche at Kraken (10:00 pm ET, ESPN+)

🏀 NCAA Basketball

W: Memphis at #11 Tennessee (6:30 pm ET, SECN)

M: Xavier at #3 Purdue (8:30 pm ET, FS1)

Download The Sportsletter's Must-Watch Calendar

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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