The Sportsletter - Double Trouble on MNF 🏈

BY JEFF YODER

SEPT. 24, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

While Week 3 Sunday lacked points and offense in the NFL, Monday had enough touchdowns to go around. In a doubleheader full of storylines, Jayden Daniels announced his arrival and Josh Allen looks like the MVP. The trouble? The Jags and Bengals are both 0-3. Plus, more MLB divisional celebrations. They’re popping champagne in Philly.

Letter Rip!

  PICK 'EM  

The Week 3 Pick 'Em Champ

Congrats to our Week 3 pick 'em winner, Donna Pahl! Only two players correctly picked 11/14 games in a week full of upsets. Donna won via tiebreaker touchdowns. This week’s top five will be added to our playoff pool down the road. Week 4 picks are ready (below).

Week 3 Leaderboard

1. Donna Pahl (11/14)

2. Marc Simon (11/14)

3. Daniel Tomosawa (10/14)

4. Judith Belkoski (10/14)

5. Danielle Taylor (10/14)

Play The Sportsletter’s NFL Pick ‘Em (Week 4)

Takes Approximately 60 Seconds

Make Your 'Game Ball' Picks (bottom of today's edition)

  NFL  

Stampede! Unstoppable Buffalo 🦬

Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig / Getty Images

Bills Ride QB Josh Allen (4 TDs) to Blowout Against Jaguars (47-10) & 3-0 Start

MVP, anyone? Game 1 of the Monday Night Football doubleheader was a no-contest up in Buffalo, and Josh Allen is playing out of his mind. The Bills hosted the 0-2 Jaguars, and it felt like Jacksonville’s season was hanging in the balance. Buffalo shot out to a 34-3 halftime lead and never looked back. The Bills’ defense sacked QB Trevor Lawrence four times. Damar Hamlin had his first interception since the incident that nearly took his life in 2022. Meanwhile, Allen tossed the pigskin around a cool Buffalo night for four touchdowns and a restful fourth quarter. He also led the Bills in rushing (44 yards).

It's a blazing 3-0 start for the Bills who have scored a league-high 112 points through three weeks. Last night's 47 points were a Bills’ franchise record on Monday Night Football. The Jags? An 0-3 start — and a loss this ugly — might be the beginning of people losing jobs.

Josh Allen for Player of the Month: It’s still too early to make MVP predictions, but no one had a better September than Allen. He's often been ridiculed in the past for having too many turnovers, but not this season. Allen has 700-plus total yards, 11 total touchdowns and zero interceptions through three games.

QB Comparison

J. Allen (BUF): 23/30, 307 yards, 4 TDs

T. Lawrence (JAX): 21/38, 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Top Performers

RB J. Cook (BUF): 15 touches, 87 yards, 1 TD

WR K. Shakir (BUF): 6 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD

Watch: Bills Roll Jags in Historic Monday Night Beatdown (47-10)

Read More

ESPN: Josh Allen Puts on MNF Show to Leave Jaguars With Deep Questions

Bleacher Report: Bills Hyped as New Super Bowl Favorites After Dominant MNF Win

  NFL  

The Tiger King 🐯

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Commanders’ Rookie Jayden Daniels (3 TDs) Beats Joe Burrow’s Bengals (38-33) in Battle of LSU Heisman QBs

Game 2 of the Monday Night Football doubleheader pitted two Heisman-winning quarterbacks from LSU in a primetime matchup to crown the Tiger King. Joe Burrow (2019) and Jayden Daniels (2023) both won the Heisman for the Tigers in recent years, and they had LSU fans glued to the TV. There was also LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Tigers everywhere! The Bengals went up 7-0 before the Commanders rookie lit the fuse on a 38-point explosion. Daniels threw for 254 yards and 2 TDs while also leading the Commanders on the ground (39 yards, 1 TD).

He threw a few long-range heaves to Terry McLaurin, and he also tossed his first pro touchdown to an offensive lineman. Daniels' completion percentage of 91.3% (21/23) was an NFL rookie single-game record. Daniels seems to have momentarily turned the fortunes of a Washington franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005. Suddenly, the Commanders are 2-1. And after a preseason of turmoil and three one-score losses, the Bengals are 0-3.

King of the Tigers’ Heisman QBs? Round 1 goes to Daniels.

QB Comparison

J. Daniels (WAS): 21/33, 293 yards, 3 TDs

J. Burrow (CIN): 29/38, 324 yards, 3 TDs

Top Performers

WR J. Chase (CIN): 6 catches, 118 yards, 2 TDs

WR T. McLaurin (WAS): 4 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD

Watch: Daniels, Commanders Outscore Bengals in Shootout (38-33)

Read More

CBS Sports: Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Throws 1st NFL TD on Trick Play

Yahoo! Sports: Jayden Daniels Arrives, Playing a Nearly Perfect Game to Lead Commanders Over Bengals

  MLB  

Philly, Finally NL East Champs

Photo: Rob Tringali / Getty Images

Schwarber & Realmuto HRs Power Phillies to 1st NL East Title Since 2011

It was a light night on the diamond. Just four games were in action across MLB last night, but one played host to another divisional celebration. The Phillies beat the Cubs (6-2) to lock up the NL East for the first time in 13 years. Home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber sent the Philadelphia crowd into party mode. Despite four winning records in four of the last five seasons, the East has been held for ransom by the Braves, Nats and Mets for more than a dozen years. But 2024 was all Phillies. They held first place from May 3 on, and never let up. The pitching duo of Zack Wheeler (16-7, 2.56 ERA) and Aaron Nola (13-8, 3.52 ERA) have been hard to hit while the bats of Schwarber (37 HRs) and Bryce Harper (29 HRs) provided the offense. It’s party time in Philly!

Watch: Phillies Clinch NL East for 1st Time Since 2011

MLB Quick-Hitters

• Bryce Miller’s Gem Keeps Mariners Alive in AL West
• Matt Chapman Hits Inside-the-Park HR in Giants Win
• Red Sox Win 3rd Straight to Keep Glimmer of Wild Card Hope

Six series this week have major wild card implications. We've highlighted them at the bottom of today's edition in the must-watch section.

  STORYLINES   

⚾️ MLB’s No Repeat Champion Streak

With the Rangers officially eliminated from the playoffs, MLB’s streak of no repeat champions will extend to 24 years. The last time baseball had a repeat World Series champ was the Yankees at the turn of the century (1998-2000). (CBS Sports)

🏈 NFL Free Agency Steals

Some inexpensive free agents slid under the radar this offseason and landed with new teams on short-term deals. Many are earning it back. Here are a few players who look like free agency steals so far in the 2024 season. (Bleacher Report)

🏀 The NBA’s Summer of Mellow Drama

Few frothy rumors. No impending superstar trades. The league’s transformation into a 12-month, transaction-fueled affair hit pause in 2024. The biggest NBA news since the Olympics — Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement from reporting. (The Ringer)

  NEWS   📰 

⚾️ Rockies’ 4-Time All-Star Charlie Blackmon Announces Retirement From MLB After 14 Years (B/R)

⚽️ Manchester City’s Rodri Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury (SI)

🏈 Reggie Bush Sues USC, Pac-12 & NCAA for NIL ‘Injustices’ (ESPN)

🏛️ 4 Schools Recommit to AAC Amid Pac-12 Interest (CBS Sports)

🏀 Vince Carter First Toronto Raptors Player to Have Jersey Number Retired (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 49ers DT Javon Hargrave Likely Out for Season With Tricep Injury (NBC)

🏈 Chargers Safety Derwin James Suspended 1 Game for Illegal Hit (ESPN)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Tonight's Must-Watch List

⚾️ MLB

Rays at Tigers (6:40 pm ET, MLBTV)

Orioles at Yankees (7:05 pm ET, TBS)

Mets at Braves (7:20 pm ET, MLBTV)

Mariners at Astros (8:10 pm ET, MLBTV)

Giants at Diamondbacks (9:40 pm ET, MLBTV)

Padres at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, TBS)

🏀 WNBA Playoffs (Round 1)

G2: Dream at Liberty (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

G2: Storm at Aces (9:30 pm ET, ESPN)

  POLL   📊

The Week 3 Game Ball Goes To...

You know the drill. The top fantasy scorers (from winning teams) vy for the Week 3 ‘Game Ball.’ We added a third running back option in place of a wide receiver since so few pass-catchers on winning teams scored big points. Who do you think earned it? (click to vote)

QB Josh Allen (BUF): 307 yards, 4 TDs

QB Andy Dalton (CAR): 319 yards, 3 TDs

RB Kyren Williams (LAR): 116 yards, 3 TDs

RB Saquon Barkley (PHI): 156 yards, 2 TDs

RB Derrick Henry (BAL): 174 yards, 2 TDs

WR Malik Nabers (NYG): 78 yards, 2 TDs

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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