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Good Morning,
If you went to bed early, you missed a miracle Monday Night Football comeback from — wait, what? — Kirk Cousins. The prime time MNF woes are gone thanks to a late blunder from the Eagles. Also in NFL headlines, the Panthers just benched QB Bryce Young (the No. 1 pick from last year). Plus, we’ll go deep on the WNBA’s record-setting season and the MLB Wild Card madness about to unfold. But first, we've got more pick ‘em prizes. Letter Rip! |
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Congrats to Judy Fenton! Judy is the Week 2 pick ‘em champion via tiebreaker, and she was one of just three players to score more than 10 correct picks. Not a single player was perfect after the first four games on Sunday (Raiders, Chargers, Saints and Bucs). It went down hill from there. 1. Judy Fenton (12/15) 2. Brian J. (12/15) 3. Dan Teets (11/15) 4. Jarett DiMaria (10/15) 5. John MacDonald (10/15) |
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Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images |
Saquon Barkley’s Drop Sets Up Last-Minute Kirk Cousins TD Drive — Falcons Stun Eagles (22-21)
Absolute thievery. The Falcons stole a Monday Night Football win on the road last night — a setting where Kirk Cousins has notoriously struggled — at a hostile environment in Philadelphia. The Eagles and Falcons were locked in a run-game battle for most of three quarters before Philly appared to have the game in hand. It was 18-15, Eagles, with a 3rd-and-3 in the red zone. Saquon Barkley was wide open, and he dropped it. On the ensuing possession, trailing 21-15, Kirk Cousins went 5-for-6 for 70 yards and the game-winning touchdown to Drake London with 34 seconds left. The Linc was in shock (so was I). Jalen Hurts threw a pick on the next possession. Kirko Comebacks!
Fun Fact: According to ESPN Analytics, the Eagles had a 97-percent win chance with less than two minutes left. That’s the highest of any team to lose a game this season. Like I said: thievery. QB Comparison K. Cousins (ATL): 20/29, 241 yards, 2 TDs
J. Hurts (PHI): 23/30, 268 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Other Top Performers
RB B. Robinson (ATL): 18 touches, 123 yards RB S. Barkley (PHI): 26 touches, 116 yards WR D. Smith (PHI): 7 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD WR D. Mooney (ATL): 3 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD
Watch: Kirk Cousins Leads Falcons to Miracle MNF Comeback Over Eagles (22-21) Read More
CBS Sports: MNF Takeaways: Kirk Cousins Throws Last-Minute TD to Shock Philly
ESPN: Falcons Save Best for Last as Kirk Cousins’ Heroics Lead Monday Night Rally |
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Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images
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How Bryce Young Went From the No. 1 Overall Pick to Backup QB in 18 Games
The contrast is so loud, it’s deafening. QB Bryce Young was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. QB C.J. Stroud was picked No. 2 by the Texans. Stroud won rookie of the year, took Houston to the payoffs, and the Texans are currently 2-0. Meanwhile, Carolina gave up a handful of future picks and assets to the Bears just to trade up and take Young last season. After a 2-16 record over his first 18 games, the Panthers benched Young on Tuesday.
He's Still Young, So What Now?
Panthers head coach Dave Canales said it was his decision, and he believes Andy Dalton gives the Panthers a better chance to win this week against the Raiders. Young is only 23, a former Heisman Trophy winner and national champion with Alabama. Even so, he’s the first No. 1-selected QB of the common draft era (since 1967) to get benched for reasons other than injury in his second season. He’s undersized and he’s been sacked 68 times (3.7 per game), and anyone who knows football can tell his confidence is shattered.
Bryce Young’s Career Stats (18 Games) 3,122 Passing Yards, 11 TDs, 13 INTs, 59.3 Comp% Read More
Yahoo! Sports: The Bryce Young Trade Will Continue to Haunt the Panthers for Years
CBS Sports: Bryce Young, Benched: Is the Former No. 1 Overall Pick One of the Biggest QB Busts of All-Time? |
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The WNBA's Year of Fallen Records |
Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
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Caitlin Clark & A’ja Wilson Had a Record-Wrecking WNBA Weekend… Now, It’s Playoff Time
Okay, so it’s not quite “playoff time.” There are still two more days of regular-season games this week, but the WNBA’s best didn’t need the full season to light up the single-season record book. While the New York Liberty are almost certain to lock up the No. 1 seed in the postseason — Breanna Stewart is having a dynamite year, too — it was A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark who made history this weekend. A’ja Wilson (Aces) became the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points in a season, and Caitlin Clark (Fever) broke the WNBA’s rookie scoring record on top of claiming the total assist record during a career-high 35-point game. Here are just some of the WNBA records that fell this year:
WNBA Records That Fell in 2024 - Scoring Record: A’ja Wilson (1,000 Points)
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Assist Record: Caitlin Clark (322 Assists)
- Rebounding Record: Angel Reese (446 Rebounds)
- Rookie Scoring Record: Caitlin Clark (761 Points)
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TV Viewership Record: Average 1.3 Million Per Game
Seven of the eight playoff spots are secured, but the last bid is a three-way heat between the Mystics (13-25), Sky (13-25) and Dream (13-25). Check the WNBA Playoff Standings Read More ESPN: WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx Overtake Liberty in Final Week?
CBS Sports: WNBA Takeaways: A’ja Wilson Hits 1,000 Points, Caitlin Clark Shatters Records, Race for 8th Continues |
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Wild Cards, Wild Finishes |
Photo: Denis Poroy / Getty Images |
The NL Wild Card is a Rival's Gauntlet, But Don’t Count Overlook the AL Chaos
It’s magic number season! If you don’t know what that means, consider yourself lucky. It’s a game for math-wiz baseball purists and it’s about as complicated as all other baseball metrics. Magic numbers calculate the number of combined wins and opponent losses needed to clinch a playoff bid. We simplified it. Here’s a look at the playoff picture if October started today. The Mets just grabbed a one-game advantage over the Braves thanks to Starling Marte's walk off last night, and there are three (or four) teams vying for the last spot in the AL. Gettin’ wild! Only two weeks left, so if your team isn’t listed below, well… they’re looking ahead to 2025.
MLB Playoff Picture American League East: Yankees (87-63) Central: Guardians (87-64)
West: Astros (81-68) WC1: Orioles (84-66) WC2: Royals (82-69) WC3: Twins (79-71) In the Hunt: Tigers (78-73), Mariners (77-73), Red Sox (75-75) National League East: Phillies (90-60) Central: Brewers (87-83)
West: Dodgers (89-61) WC1: Padres (86-65)
WC2: Diamondbacks (83-67) WC3: Mets (82-68) In the Hunt: Braves (81-69), Cubs (77-73), Cardinals (75-75) |
⚾️ MLB Quick-Hitters -
Marte Plays Mets Hero: Starling Marte came through for a walk off single to power the Mets over the Nats (2-1) in a crucial game for the wild card race.
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Arraez’s No-K Streak Ends: Padres’ Luis Arraez struck out on Tuesday for the first time in over a month (141 plate appearances), and it took a nine-pitch at-bat to sit him down.
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Comeback, Guards!: Kyle Manzardo mashed a two-run, go-ahead jack to help lift the Guardians over the Twins (4-3).
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🏈 Contenders or Pretenders?
Going back to the NFL merger in 1970, teams that started 2-0 made the playoffs 63.7 percent of the time. Only 9.7 percent of teams who lose their first two games have made the playoffs. So which 2-0 and 0-2 teams are really good, or really bad? (Sporting News) ⚽️ What to Know About UCL Matchday 1
The return of the UEFA Champions League is a mid-September staple, but this season's edition of the competition comes with new layers of intrigue. When the action begins today, it will do so as a new, Swiss-system tournament with more competition and chaos. (CBS Sports) 🏁 Wrecking the NASCAR Playoffs
Sunday at Watkins Glen wasn’t much of a party at all for the playoff drivers, with three likely Hall of Famers finding themselves below the playoff cutline. Accidents hurt Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski while Martin Truex Jr. finished 20th. Cuts are coming. (FOX Sports) |
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Tonight's Must-Watch List |
⚾️ MLB Twins at Guardians (6:40 pm ET, MLBTV)
Phillies at Brewers (7:40 pm ET, TBS) Yankees at Mariners (9:40 pm ET, ESPN+)
⚽️ UEFA Champions League AC Milan vs. Liverpool (3:00 pm ET, Par+)
Real Madrid vs. VfB Stuttgart (3:00 pm ET, Par+) 🏀 WNBA Liberty at Mystics (7:00 pm ET, NBATV) Aces at Storm (10:00 pm ET, NBATV) |
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It’s our second weekly poll for the NFL’s ‘Game Ball’ in Week 2. You know the drill. Pick from the top two fantasy football scorers at each offensive skill position. We know which player we think deserves it, but we’ll let you be the judge. (click to vote) QB K. Murray (ARI): 325 Yards, 3 TDs
QB D. Carr (NO): 244 Yards, 3 TDs
RB A. Kamara (NO): 180 Yards, 4 TDs
RB D. Achane (MIA): 165 Yards, 1 TD
WR M. Harrison Jr. (ARI): 130 Yards, 2 TDs
WR D. Metcalf (SEA): 129 Yards, 1 TD |
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