The Sportsletter - Taking Charge ⚡️

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 5, 2021  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  BROWSER VIEW

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Good Morning,

Monday had action. Tuesday has more. There’s a new force in the AFC West, and tonight’s AL Wild Card is a must-see, winner-take-all game in Fenway. The sports-filled October is in full swing.

Letter Rip!

SUNDAY SPORTSLETTER

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NFL

Chargers Rip Raiders on MNF

Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

QB Justin Herbert Tosses 3 TDs as Chargers def. Raiders (28-14) in AFC West Battle

Only one undefeated team remains in the NFL after the Raiders (3-1) fell to the Chargers (3-1) last night (28-14) in a weather-delayed Monday Night Football showdown in the AFC West. Quarterback Justin Herbert took charge and gave Los Angeles a 21-0 lead before cruising through the second half. Running back Austin Ekeler was also a dominating factor in the win. The Chargers have lost just one game all season — a 3-point slight to the Cowboys — and they look could be the team to beat in the AFC West.

Top Performers

QB J. Herbert (LAC): 25/38, 222 yards, 3 TDs

RB A. Ekeler (LAC): 18 touches, 145 yards, 2 TDs

AFC West Standings

Chargers (3-1)

Raiders (3-1)

Broncos (3-1)

Chiefs (2-2)

Watch: Chargers Beat Raiders on MNF (28-14)

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Why Weather Delayed Start of Chargers-Raiders Game in Domed Stadium

ESPN: Can L.A. Chargers Be Considered AFC West Favorites After Beating Raiders?

MLB

The Wild Card Matchup of a Lifetime

Photo: Jim Rogash / Getty Images

AL Wild Card: Red Sox vs. Yankees (Tonight, 8:00 pm ET)

The MLB Playoffs are about to begin, and it’s a revitalized rivalry that throws out the first pitch of the postseason. The Red Sox (92-70) play host to the Yankees (92-70) tonight in a do-or-die, one-game Wild Card showdown at Fenway Park. It’s Gerrit Cole (NYY) and Nathan Eovaldi (BOS) on the mound. Boston won the season series (10-9), and the game features 21 past and present all-stars.

Last 10 Games: Red Sox (5-5) | Yankees (7-3)

The winner of tonight’s epic showdown gets the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS on Thursday.

MLB Playoff Schedule (This Week)

AL Wild Card

#5 Yankees at #4 Red Sox (Tues. 8:08 pm ET, ESPN)

Pitchers: G. Cole (NYY) vs. N. Eovaldi (BOS)

NL Wild Card

#5 Cardinals at #4 Dodgers (Wed. 8:10 pm ET, TBS)

Pitchers: A. Wainwright (STL) vs. M. Scherzer (LAD)

ALDS: Begins Thursday (Oct. 7)

NLDS: Begins Friday (Oct. 8)

Additional Storylines

MLB: Why Each Team Can Win the World Series

CBS Sports: 2021 MLB Playoff Expert Picks & Postseason Predictions

USA Today: Red Sox-Yankees Peaked 17 Years Ago. Can a Winner-Take-All Wild Card Game Jolt the Rivalry?

NASCAR

Bubba Makes History at Talladega

Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace Becomes 2nd Black Driver to Win NASCAR Cup Race

There’s no raining on Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR victory parade. After Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was postponed due to rain, Wallace captured his first career win on Monday to make history as the second black driver ever to win a Cup Series race (Wendell Scott, 1963). But how he did it was quite different. After garnering the lead, Wallace and the field were stalled on Lap 118 of 188 when the rain came back. After 45 minutes, NASCAR called the race and declared Wallace the winner.

Watch: Bubba Wallace Makes History With 1st Cup Victory

Race Results

1. Bubba Wallace

2. Brad Keselowski

3. Joey Logano

4. Kurt Busch

5. Christopher Bell

Full Talladega Race Results

NASCAR Playoff Standings (Round of 12)

1. Denny Hamlin (3,116 Points)

2. Kyle Larson (3,097 Points)

3. Joey Logano (3,096 Points)

4. Brad Keselowski (3,095 Points)

5. Martin Truex Jr. (3,095 Points)

Full NASCAR Playoff Standings

Additional Storylines

NY Times: Bubba Wallace Gets a Breakthrough NASCAR Victory at Talladega

NASCAR: Playoff Pulse: Analyzing the Field After Talladega

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NFL STORYLINES

🏈  Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners & Losers

Did Week 4 of the Fantasy Football season go according to plan? Well, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts finished as top-five quarterbacks; so did Sam Darnold, Matt Ryan, and Taylor Heinicke. (CBS Sports)

🏈  Grading Every Rookie Head Coach So Far

The NFL has always been a "what have you done for me lately?" league that values results on the field. But the urgency for head coaches to get things right has been increased in recent years. (Bleacher Report)

🏈  Takeaways & Big Questions From Week 4

Our NFL Nation reporters react to all the major takeaways and lingering questions from this week's action. Plus, they each look at the bigger picture with their current team confidence rating -- a 0-10 grade of how they feel about the team's outlook coming out of the week. (ESPN)

📰 THE HEADLINES

Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer Apologizes After Viral Video From Last Weekend

(ESPN)

Kylian Mbappe Says He Asked for PSG Transfer Back in July

(Bleacher Report)

Mets Announce Manager Luis Rojas Won’t Be Back in 2022

(Yahoo! Sports)

Tom Brady’s Return to New England Nets 2nd-Highest Sunday Night Football TV Ratings Ever for NBC

(USA Today)

Federal Investigators Raid Washington Football Team Facility as Head Trainer Placed on Leave

(CBS Sports)

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