After we saw a handful of upsets in Week 8, teams enter the back half of their schedules some are vying for playoff positions while others are struggling to keep their season alive.
Week 8 saw the Titans, Packers, Browns, and Rams get upset by their opponents. The Seahawks and Steelers picked up impressive victories to keep their foothold among the top teams. Tom Brady and his Buccaneers barely escaped with a Monday Night Football win over the Giants. Dallas' woes continued on Sunday night as they lost to the Eagles and failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive week.
Let's take a look at the Week 9 power rankings based on what we've seen so far this season.
32. New York Jets (0-8, Last Week 32 +/- 0) - Gross.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6, Last Week 31, +/- 0) - Should have traded Gardner Minshew at the deadline.
30. New York Giants (1-7, Last Week 30, +/- 0) - Looked competitive against Tampa Bay in Week 8, but the outlook for the season still looks bleak.
29. Dallas Cowboys (2-6, Last Week 29, +/- 0) - Should have traded for Gardner Minshew at the deadline.
28. Washington Football Team (2-5, Last Week 28, +/- 0) - Football Team gets the Giants coming off their bye week and will hope to get continued production from Antonio Gibson to put a win streak together.
Highest-graded rookie RBs: 1. Antonio Gibson - 80.5 2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire - 75.8 3. James Robinson - 75.1 4. Jon… https://t.co/5SSkm62TGu— PFF (@PFF) 1603895462.0
27. New England Patriots (2-5, Last Week 26, - 1) - The Pats fell just short against Buffalo in a game that could've gotten their season back on track, at least from a record standpoint. Instead they're at the bottom of the division looking up and in unfamiliar territory at this point in the season.
26. Houston Texans (1-6, Last Week 24, - 2) - The Texans come out of their bye week with the Jaguars, Browns, Patriots, and Lions on their schedule. This stretch could put them back in the playoff picture if Deshaun Watson can will them to some wins.
25. Chicago Bears (5-3, Last Week 18, - 7) - The Bears lost in OT to the Saints in Week 8, and they slide down seven spots this week. Although they looked better offensively in this game, we need to see it on a more consistent basis.
24. Carolina Panthers (3-5, Last Week 17, -7) - The potential of Christian McCaffrey this week may reverse the drop the Panthers took in the rankings this week. They managed to go 3-3 while McCaffrey was injured behind good play from Teddy Bridgewater and Mike Davis. Their division is competitive, but they're within arm's length of a wildcard spot once they get CMC back.
23. Los Angeles Chargers (2-5, Last Week 21, - 2) - The Chargers lost a close one in Week 8 to the Broncos 31-30. Justin Herbert continues to impress however, and Mike Williams appears to be getting in sync with the rookie QB.
22. Detroit Lions (3-4, Last Week 14, - 8) - After looking better with Kenny Golladay in the lineup, the Lions got blown out 41-21 by the Colts in Week 8 knocking them down a few spots this week.
21. Denver Broncos (3-4, Last Week 27, + 6) - A good comeback victory against a surging Chargers team behind the play of Justin Herbert caught our attention. Resulting in Denver being a big mover on the list this week in the right direction.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (4-3, Last Week 19, - 1) - The Raiders dominated the Browns offense and really should have won by a lot more. The Raiders lose a spot this week due to their average performance against a flat Cleveland team in Week 8.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5-1, Last Week 25, + 6) - The Bengals had an impressive win over the Titans last week and resulted in them jumping up six spots this week. They're on a bye this week and have the Steelers in Weeks 10 and 15. But in between those games Cincinnati plays Washington, the Giants, Miami, and Dallas. While the playoffs are probably out of the question in a competitive AFC, what Joe Burrow and the Bengals have done this year at least makes you wonder Who Dey?
Love my team #WhoDey https://t.co/iTwpZ0UOHq— Billy Price (@Billy Price) 1604276906.0
18. Atlanta Falcons (2-6, Last Week 23, + 5) - The Falcons seem higher on this list than they should be, but their potential has been close to the surface all season and they seem poised to breakout. Their five spot jump is preemptive to what we expect to see from them the rest of the way out.
17. Minnesota Vikings (2-5, Last Week 20, +3) - It looks like Dalvin Cook is healthy and he has been the most explosive runner in the NFL when healthy. He is leading the league in rushing touchdowns and has been the focal point of that offense that includes a developing Justin Jefferson opening up the passing game. Like Atlanta, the Vikings benefit from the direction we see them going in.
Anyone playing against Dalvin Cook in fantasy @brgridiron https://t.co/OjpIqLnp4F— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1604259911.0
16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4-1, Last Week 22, + 6) - Speaking of teams making big jumps we see the Eagles(!) making a six spot jump up our rankings this week. They have won two in a row and appear to be the clear favorites to win the NFC East. Even if they finish under .500 they still project to be a division winner.
15. Cleveland Browns (5-3, Last Week 11, - 4) - After throwing for five touchdowns in Week 7, Baker Mayfield fell flat on his face in an awful loss to the Raiders in Week 8. The Browns are now without Odell Beckham and need Nick Chubb to return from IR to help boost the running game to the level we saw earlier in the season. This is a good spot for them as they're season is teetering and could go either way depending on the next few weeks.
14. Miami Dolphins (4-3, Last Week 15, + 1) - Tua Tagovailoa got his first NFL win in the first start of his professional career but the Dolphins' defense and special teams helped out adding a fumble returned for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown to beat the Rams in Week 8.
13. Los Angeles Rams (5-3, Last Week 13, +/- 0) - The Rams five wins are against the Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins, Giants, and Bears. Their three losses have come against the Dolphins, 49ers, and Bills. Something is askew and we should know who the real Rams are after the next couple weeks.
12. San Francisco 49ers (4-4, Last Week 12, +/- 0) - Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle went down with injuries in Week 8 and it looks like Kittle will be gone for at least eight weeks. Why do they remain at 12 this week in the rankings? Kyle Shanahan has done an extraordinary job with this team through injuries so far, and until he proves unable to keep up, I'm keeping the faith in him.
Put Kyle Shanahan on the QB depth chart 😂 @49ers https://t.co/Rj7mE1ZQLi— The Checkdown (@The Checkdown) 1603992274.0
11. Indianapolis Colts (5-2, Last Week 16, + 5) - The Colts trounced the Lions last week and hope to keep that offensive momentum going as they'll have Baltimore this week.
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-2, Last Week 8, - 2) - This seems like a really low spot for Baltimore and it is. But keep in mind they dropped a few spots the prior week just because they were on a bye and they took a loss in which Lamar Jackson looked pretty bad. They don't drop further though because that bad loss was to the undefeated Steelers and that nasty defense.
Lamar Jackson vs Steelers: 2 starts, 3 Pass TD, 5 INT Lamar Jackson vs everyone else: 27 starts, 50 Pass TD, 8 INT https://t.co/8dBEc74MoH— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) 1604266685.0
9. Arizona Cardinals (5-2, Last Week 7, - 2) - Arizona coming off the bye drops a couple spots, but are riding a three game winning streak into their Week 9 matchup with the Dolphins.
8. New Orleans Saints (5-2, Last Week 10, + 2) - Winners of four straight, the Saints will hope to keep the momentum going against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers this week.
7. Tennessee Titans (5-2, Last Week 4, - 3) - Losers of two straight, the Titans want to avoid a mid season slide after starting out 5-0. The loss to the Steelers wasn't alarming, but dropping a Week 8 game to the Bengals certainly raises a flag.
6. Buffalo Bills (6-2, Last Week 9, +3) - Even though they haven't looked their best the past two weeks in division matchups against the Jets and the Patriots, the Bills have managed to win. They will have the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Chargers over their next three games with a bye scheduled for Week 11.
5. Green Bay Packers (5-2, Last Week 6, + 1) - The Packers dropped their second game in three weeks as they lost to the Vikings in Week 8. They don't lose much ground in the rankings though because of what we've seen out of Aaron Rodgers this season. Once they get healthy we expect the Packers to finish the season as NFC North champions.
Aaron Rodgers is really, really good... Since 2018, Rodgers has thrown for 68 TD and 8 INT for a TD/INT ratio of 8… https://t.co/qhfud65RfE— CBS Sports HQ (@CBS Sports HQ) 1603906683.0
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, Last Week 3, - 1) - The Bucs drop a spot here because of the struggle they had closing out the Giants on Monday night. They shouldn't have been in a position where they were needing to come back and it feels like they were overlooking this game and their opponents.
3. Seattle Seahawks (6-1, Last Week 5, + 2) - The Seahawks had an impressive win over division rival, San Francisco last week. Russell Wilson had four touchdown passes while Seattle was without their top two running backs in Week 8.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1, Last Week 2 +/- 0) - KC took care of business against the Jets handling them easily. They have Carolina this week before their bye and they're in the driver's seat to win the AFC West.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-0, Last Week 1, +/-0) - The Steelers had an important division win against the Ravens in Week 8 allowing them to remain undefeated. Turnovers made the difference in that game and the Pittsburgh defense continues to be one of the most feared in the league. The Steelers have the Cowboys, Bengals, and Jaguars over their next three games before taking on the Ravens for the second time. The path for them heading into that game 10-0 is pretty clear.
JuJu and Chase had the Steelers locker room lit after staying undefeated 🔥😂 @TeamJuJu @ChaseClaypool @steelers (… https://t.co/QsGK0ZktdV— The Checkdown (@The Checkdown) 1604269160.0
As Ferris Bueller might say: The world of sports moves pretty fast.
If you don't stop and look around at least once a week, you could miss it. Here we'll review what you might have missed in the past week all in one place. Why spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the news you want? We've already done that for you, so remember to check back every Monday to get your dose of weekly sports review.
MLB
The World Series was decided last Tuesday night and it was the Los Angeles Dodgers who claimed their seventh title, and first in 32 years. After making it to the WS in three of the past four years, LA finally gets a win. Dave Roberts became the first manager of Asian heritage to win a WS.
His dad died last year and was a huge Dodgers fan. With his dad’s hat and shirt in his hand, he watched them win… https://t.co/csUnXty8UB— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 1604252500.0
Corey Seager won World Series MVP and did it all throughout the postseason including the matchup against the Rays. Seager had a .400 batting average in the WS and hit two home runs, five RBI, scored seven runs, had a stolen base, and played excellent defense.
Seager is only the eighth player in league history to win the MVP award in both their League Championship Series and the World Series.
In 1988, the Lakers and the Dodgers won their respective league titles, making Los Angeles the first city to win a… https://t.co/rrHlfgGcog— Front Office Sports (@Front Office Sports) 1603857377.0
In Game 6, Rays manager Kevin Cash made a questionable decision to pull starter Blake Snell in the 6th inning after allowing a single to Austin Barnes with the top of the order coming up. Snell was only at 73 pitches and had gone 5 ⅓ allowing 2 hits, no walks, no runs, and had struck out nine. Six of those strikeouts were against Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner, who had struck out in every at bat against Snell in Game 6. What ensued was a Betts double, a run scored on a wild pitch, and an RBI infield single to give the Dodgers the lead they would never relinquish.
Cody Bellinger has a chuckle over Kevin Cash lifting Blake Snell in the sixth. https://t.co/JeCgsrg3Wd— Kenny Ducey (@Kenny Ducey) 1603858440.0
Randy Arozarena finished with 10 home runs, 29 hits, and 64 total bases during the 2020 postseason. All are MLB records for a single postseason. His 14 extra base hits tied him with David Freese for most ever in a single postseason. Arozarena leads a young core for Tampa Bay who should have a window of opportunity to make it back to the World Series over the next few seasons. Most of their players are either under contract or arbitration eligible through 2023.
RANDY. AROZARENA. AGAIN. Starts off Game 6 with his 10th home run of the postseason 🤯 (via @MLB) https://t.co/C1CwSRLJWF— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 1603844026.0
Clayton Kershaw had two wins for the Dodgers in the WS. Throughout the playoffs he went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA .91 WHIP, and struck out 37 over 30 ⅔ IP. This championship cements his legacy as one of the best pitchers of his generation adding the one thing that's eluded him during his illustrious career.
The October stage has been so cruel to Clayton Kershaw. But now … a curtain call. Take a bow, @ClaytonKersh22. 💍 https://t.co/YYoeKE0QwS— The Athletic MLB (@The Athletic MLB) 1603856648.0
NFL
Week 8 in the NFL saw its fair share of upsets. Most notably Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to a win against the Tennessee Titans 31-20. Burrow had 249 passing yards and two touchdown throws. Giovani Bernard had two scores on the day. For the Titans Derrick Henry had 112 yards and a touchdown as Tennessee loses their second game in as many weeks.
Joe Burrow escapes inside pressure & tosses one up for Tee Higgins, goodness what a haul - https://t.co/hkV4gWh2mF— Michael Kist (@Michael Kist) 1604326405.0
Tua Tagovailoa earned his first NFL win in his first NFL start against the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins defense and special teams helped get the W for Miami as Andrew Van Ginkel scored a touchdown off of a fumble recovery and Jakeem Grant scored on a punt return.
The Vikings upset the Packers 28-22 in a division matchup behind the performance of Dalvin Cook. Cook had 163 yards and three rushing touchdowns, and added 63 yards receiving with another touchdown through the air. Aaron Rodgers finished with 291 yards and three touchdown passes, all of them to Davante Adams. The Packers drop to 5-2 and hold a slim advantage over the Bears for the NFC North.
The Raiders embarrassed the Browns 16-6 in a snoozer. Coming off a five touchdown performance in Week 7, Baker Mayfield was unable to find anything downfield, and the explosive offense we've come to expect from Cleveland was nowhere to be found on Sunday. With the Bengals looking to be trending up, the Browns will need to get back on track quickly if they want to avoid a collapse that could find them at the bottom of the division by year's end.
Quick Bites
The Bills have claimed supremacy in the AFC East with their win over the Patriots
The Steelers outlast the Ravens in an AFC North contest where turnovers prevented the Ravens from getting a win
The Seahawks down the 49ers as Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle go out with injuries
It takes overtime for the Saints to defeat the Bears
The Cowboys haven't scored a touchdown in two consecutive games as they fall to the Eagles on Sunday night
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Matchday 2 (10/27 and 10/28)
The UEFA Champions League held its second matchday in the group stage on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bayern Munich defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-1 and lead Group A with six points. Manchester City dominated Marseille behind goals from Ferran Torres, İlkay Gündoğan, and Raheem Sterling. Man City leads Group C with six points.
Caption this! #UCL https://t.co/kjgbcgDwRS— UEFA Champions League (@UEFA Champions League) 1604325293.0
A much anticipated fixture between Juventus and Barcelona didn't yield as exciting of a result as hoped. Barcelona saw Ousmane Dembélé score in the 14th minute and Lionel Messi added a goal off a penalty kick in extra time to seal the win. Juventus was unable to score and Barcelona now has a three point advantage in Group G over Juventus.
Messi said goodbye to Bonucci 👋 https://t.co/vMMDI8dqZw— Goal (@Goal) 1604323740.0
Other notable wins from Matchday 2 included Manchester United with a resounding 5-0 win over RB Leipzig, Dortmund defeated Zenit 2-0, Chelsea beat Krasnodar 4-0, and Liverpool over Midtjylland 2-0. Matchday 3 continues this week beginning Tuesday 11/3 and continues into Wednesday 11/4.
Boxing
Deontay Wilder has accused Tyson Fury of loading his gloves with "Something the size and shape of an egg weight".
Deontay Wilder releases a video accusing Tyson Fury of cheating. (via @BronzeBomber) https://t.co/NFJULVNtHJ— DAZN Boxing (@DAZN Boxing) 1604172742.0
Furthermore Wilder is accusing his former coach Mark Breland and the training staff of putting a "muscle relaxer" in his water from that fight. Wilder's actions and statements of late have been erratic and not helping his cause in getting the rematch he wants with Tyson Fury.
Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) and Leo Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 KOs) fought in a highly anticipated matchup between the young prodigy and the veteran champion. "Tank" Davis delivered a Knockout of the Year contender Saturday night on his way to winning the WBA World Super Featherweight and the WBA World Lightweight championships.
Gervonta Davis (-600 ML) puts Leo Santa Cruz to sleep in the sixth round #DavisSantaCruz https://t.co/LelZWUImpu— Barstool Sportsbook (@Barstool Sportsbook) 1604202530.0
Davis fights for Mayweather Promotions and is the protégé of the former champ, Floyd Mayweather. With this win he has justified his rise to stardom and put two divisions on notice. Whatever is next for Davis, it's sure to be in the main event.
UFC
Dana White believes there's a strong possibility that Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to attempt to finish his career with an even 30 wins. Currently, Khabib is 29-0-0, and his early retirement was focused around the loss of his father and coach and not a decline in ability. White feels strong enough about the potential for one more fight that Nurmagomedov will remain lightweight champion rather than vacating it in lieu of his retirement announcement.
Dana White also told me Khabib Nurmagomedov is still the lightweight champion. He's not SURE Nurmagomedov will retu… https://t.co/o8u0z8AUVW— Brett Okamoto (@Brett Okamoto) 1604198299.0
White also announced that Israel Adesanya will be moving up to compete for the light heavyweight championship against Jan Blachowicz. A win for Adesanya would make him a two-division champion.
I have heard that Israel Adesanya wants to face me next. No problem, If you are ready to fight in March, let's do t… https://t.co/8VxSRtu35v— Jan Blachowicz (@Jan Blachowicz) 1603991515.0
Anderson Silva took a loss in what was billed to be his final fight inside a UFC octagon. Uriah Hall won by TKO in the fourth-round, but Dana White spoke about how disappointing the performance was for both fighters. Noting that Hall only threw 11 punches in the second round and seemed to be allowing Silva to stay in the fight. White flat out stated he doesn't believe that Silva should fight again. Even though Silva was hesitant to confirm his retirement in his post fight interview, it appears unlikely he would be offered the opportunity by the UFC.
As Ferris Bueller might say: The world of sports moves pretty fast.
If you don't stop and look around at least once a week, you could miss it. Here we'll review what you might have missed in the past week all in one place. Why spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the news you want? We've already done that for you, so remember to check back every Monday to get your dose of weekly sports review.
MLB
The World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays kicked off last Tuesday night. The Dodgers took the first game 8-3 behind a strong pitching performance from Clayton Kershaw. Mookie Betts homered and added two stolen bases and 3 RBI in the contest. Tyler Glasnow was lit up for six runs over 4 1/3 IP and took the Game 1 loss for the Rays.
Last time @mookiebetts played in the World Series was against the Dodgers. Boston beat LA in his MVP year in 2018.… https://t.co/62VYtwzsti— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1603308376.0
Blake Snell and Tony Gonsolin went in Game 2. Snell went 4 2/3 IP and took a no hitter into the fifth inning striking out nine batters. Brandon Lowe homered twice for the Rays. Joey Wendle had a two run double and a sacrifice fly to match Lowe's three RBI on the day. Corey Seager mashed his seventh home run of the postseason in Game 2. Chris Taylor and Will Smith also went yard. The Dodgers dropped Game 2 by a score of 6-4 to draw the World Series even at a game a piece.
Game 3 went to the Dodgers 6-2 behind a fantastic outing from Walker Buehler who struck out 10 over six innings with one earned run surrendered. Austin Barnes and Justin Turner led the way offensively for LA with home runs. Randy Arozarena hit his eighth home run of the postseason which tied him with Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran, and Nelson Cruz for most all time in a single playoff season.
Game 4 was not only an all-time installment of the Fall Classic, but we also were treated to some history from both teams. Randy Arozarena broke the all time record for home runs in a single postseason hitting his ninth homer of the 2020 playoffs. For the Dodgers, Justin Turner became the franchise's all time leader in postseason home runs with 12 surpassing Duke Snider.
The game itself saw three lead changes over the last four innings and included one of the craziest plays to end a World Series game in history as Brett Phillips singled to center field which tied the game scoring Kevin Kiermaier, but a routine grounder was bobbled by the Dodgers' Chris Taylor. This allowed Randy Arozarena to make a run for home. The Dodgers quickly recovered and got the relay in to the cut off man well ahead of Arozarena. Will Smith went for the tag too early and never secured the ball allowing Arozarena to make it home for the game winning run! Rays take Game 4 in a walk off win 8-7 to even the series at 2.
Randy Arozarena and Brett Phillips, your heroes: https://t.co/DBZroYipHK— Mike Monaco (@Mike Monaco) 1603600678.0
Randy Arozarena has had one of the most historic playoff seasons in history and Sunday night he became all time hits leader in a single post season (27). Unfortunately for the Rays, that was about the only good takeaway from Game 4. Clayton Kershaw was solid again as he struck out six over 5 2/3 IP earning his second win of this World Series.
Locked in. The most hits EVER in a single #postseason. The legend of Randy Arozarena continues to grow. https://t.co/Po5Pphoqa7— MLB (@MLB) 1603675667.0
Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger got to Tyler Glasnow early and after two frames the Dodgers' three runs were enough to allow them to never trail in this one. Blake Treinen came in and struck out two on his way to earning the save. Los Angeles is now just one win away from winning their seventh championship and first in 32 years.
Projected starters for Tuesday night's Game 6 are Blake Snell (2-2, 3.33 ERA) for Tampa Bay and Tony Gonsolin (0-2, 9.39 ERA) for Los Angeles.
NBA
Stan Van Gundy has agreed to coach the New Orleans Pelicans. He will assume the responsibility of developing last year's number one overall pick, Zion Williamson. David Griffin is one of the best general managers in the NBA and has four picks in the upcoming draft (13, 39, 42, 60) that could be used to move up and land a more impactful player. There aren't a lot of glaring holes for them and they're young at their core.
Nate Bjorkgren is set to be head coach of the Pacers. Bjorkgren is a former assistant with Toronto. These recent hires add to Ty Lue becoming the new Clippers coach, Billy Donovan to the Bulls, Steve Nash coaching Brooklyn, Doc Rivers to Philadelphia, and Tom Thibodeau to the New York Knicks.
Bucks "won't trade Giannis" if he turns down the max extension Milwaukee is expected to offer him once free agency begins later this year. Antetokounmpo is still under contract for one more year whether he agrees to a deal this offseason or not.
Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors are just 4 out of 30 teams that would like… https://t.co/ncZ6kwp7n6— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 1603156496.0
The reigning back-to-back MVP may force the team into a game of Russian roulette if there is uncertainty about his intentions as the trade deadline approaches next season. If the Bucks feel that Giannis may sign elsewhere, they may have no other choice than to trade him. It would be better to get some assets or free up cap space in a trade than to lose the Greek Freak for nothing.
UFC
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje with a second round submission on Saturday to move to 29-0-0 in the UFC. He is one of the best pound for pound fighters of his generation and dominated the Lightweight division over the course of his career.
BREAKING: Khabib Nurmagomedov announces his retirement from MMA. #UFC254 https://t.co/JtLGvh36ds— UFC on BT Sport (@UFC on BT Sport) 1603572948.0
He shocked the world by announcing his retirement following the win. Khabib will retire as an undefeated champion and has earned the respect of everyone including Dana White.
Dana White Reacts to Khabib Nurmagomedov's Retirement After UFC 254 - MMA Fighting www.youtube.com
NFL
Antonio Brown has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and may join the team as early as Week 9 after serving his eight game suspension imposed by the league.
Antonio Brown’s one-year deal with Tampa has a max value of $2.5 million, per source. It includes a $750,000 bonus… https://t.co/9YNEai5g8i— Adam Schefter (@Adam Schefter) 1603632102.0
The Pittsburgh Steelers come out of Week 7 the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The Steelers defeated the Titans in a battle of the undefeated 27-24. The Steelers are now 6-0 sitting atop the AFC North, and the Titans fall to 5-1 on the year.
The other undefeated team entering Week 7, the Seattle Seahawks, lost to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night in OT 37-34. Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray were both outstanding and finished with numbers typically reserved for Madden games. Murray finished with 360 yards and three scores through the air along with 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Wilson had 388 passing yards and three touchdowns to go with 84 yards on the ground.
Both quarterbacks led their teams in rushing, but it came down to three uncharacteristic interceptions thrown by Wilson that made the difference. The last of which allowed the Cardinals to seal the win with a field goal after missing one prior to that interception.
The Seahawks (572) and Cardinals (519) featured 1,091 combined total yards, the most in a regular-season NFL game s… https://t.co/vck9ocNTVH— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPN Stats & Info) 1603686445.0
Todd Gurley scored a late 4th quarter TD but appeared to want to fall short to keep running clock. Instead he fell across the goal line and the Lions got the ball back with about a minute left to play.
Todd Gurley tried to stop himself from scoring on this run... It didn't work out. https://t.co/u0hahQ0IQf— FOX Sports: NFL (@FOX Sports: NFL) 1603655964.0
A deep pass to Kenny Golladay set up the eventual game tying touchdown to TJ Hockenson. The extra point won it for Detroit 23-22.
TJ HOCKENSON. FOR THE WIN. ON #NationalTightEndsDay! #OnePride #DETvsATL https://t.co/IgPI0pOLGy— NFL (@NFL) 1603656690.0
In another thriller, Joe Burrow looked poised to celebrate a fourth quarter comeback win against the Browns. Baker Mayfield drove his team down the field and Donovan Peoples-Jones caught the game winning touchdown, stealing a win on the road. The Browns improve to 5-2 behind Baker Mayfield's five touchdown passes.
As Ferris Bueller might say: The world of sports moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around at least once a week, you could miss it.Here we'll review what you might have missed in the past week all in one place. Why spend hours scrolling through Twitter to catch up on the news you want? We've already done that for you, so remember to check back every Monday to get your dose of weekly sports review.
MLB
The Astros are about to become the second team in baseball history to force a Game 7 after being down 0-3. Just a r… https://t.co/fFTYgzT8f6— Jared Carrabis (@Jared Carrabis) 1602895849.0
Game 7 of the ALCS saw the Rays jump out to an early lead as Randy Arozarena homered in the first inning and Mike Zunino in the second. Charlie Morton was brilliant over five and two thirds innings pitched, and Pete Fairbanks slammed the door shut on the series and the Astros' season to close out the game. Tampa was able to overcome the Astros momentum to advance to the World Series, but unfortunately for the Braves their outcome was different.
Happy bois https://t.co/anJxD6ufVe— Tampa Bay Rays (@Tampa Bay Rays) 1603060778.0
The Dodgers dropped the first two games of the NLCS and then exploded for 15 runs in Game 3 with multi hit efforts from Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, and Corey Seager who all homered. Atlanta responded in Game 4 however and lit up Clayton Kershaw and Brusdar Graterol breaking the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 advantage.
With their grave all but dug with one foot in, the Dodgers got six runs batted in between Corey Seager and Will Smith who each homered in Game 5. Seager homered again in Game 6 in the first inning and Justin Turner went back to back adding another solo shot to begin the game. Max Fried gave up another to make it three first inning runs for LA which was more than enough to carry them to victory behind a stellar performance from Walker Buehler who struck out six batters over six innings while giving up no runs.
The Braves led in four of the first five innings of Game 7 before the Dodgers added a run in the sixth and then the seventh inning to make the game 4-3. The combination of Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Julio Urias allowed no hits and one walk from the fourth inning on and didn't allow Atlanta to have a chance to get back into the game.
For the 3rd time in 4 years, the @Dodgers are NL Champs! #CLINCHED https://t.co/0g1GoS9AIa— MLB (@MLB) 1603079582.0
Game 1 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Rays is Tuesday night with first pitch at 8:09 p.m. EST.
Boxing
On Saturday night Teofimo Lopez Jr. (16-0, 12 KOs) upset Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) in a unanimous decision after 12 rounds which unified all four belts at 135 pounds. Lopez was already the IBF lightweight champ heading in, and after defeating Lomachenko, Lopez added the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles to his collection.
At just 23 years old, Lopez has been hailed by some as the future of the division, but with Lomachenko standing in the way it appeared that Teofimo's time was a ways off still. Revered as possibly the best pound for pound fighter alive, Lomachenko was expected to come out of this fight as the unified title holder.
ALL. THE. BELTS. At 23 years old, #TheTakeover is now... 👑 The only 4-belt champ in Lightweight history 👑 The y… https://t.co/xUSaXZc4jd— Top Rank Boxing (@Top Rank Boxing) 1602997715.0
Instead what we saw was Loma being out-boxed and outclassed for most of the fight. Footwork and hand speed are two pillars of Lomachenko's success, and we saw little of either in his fight with Lopez. Teofimo came out and attacked early which caused Lomachenko into a largely defensive position until later in the fight.
Lopez hit hard and with accuracy and won eight of the 12 rounds on the judge's scorecard. There will undoubtedly be a rematch and expect to see Lomachenko ready to reassume his spot at the top of the division. Following a 14 month layoff, Loma looked a little rusty and he may have been underestimating his opponent. Of course we could be wrong and we may have just witnessed the passing of the torch in the lightweight division to Lopez.
NFL
Week 6 of NFL action didn't have a Thursday Night Game on the schedule as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills game was moved to Monday instead. So like cavemen, we had to wait until Sunday(!) to get some NFL. What we got was a mixed bag of games. It seemed that every game on the slate on Sunday was either a one score game late into the fourth quarter, or a blowout not worth your time.
Here are quick bite takes on each game from Sunday.
Chicago Bears 23 - Carolina Panthers 16 - The Bears defense is really good. They got four sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in a close game. The Bears are a shaky 5-1 now and need to start figuring out how to get more out of running back David Montgomery. The Panthers on the other hand need to bounce back next week while they're waiting for Christian McCaffrey to return from injury.
Indianapolis Colts 31 - Cincinnati Bengals 27 - Joe Burrow continues to look good against strong competition to start off his career. Unable to get a passing touchdown, Burrow still picked up a rushing touchdown and had his team in position to win late. Philip Rivers pulled out the win and threw for 371 yards and three touchdowns to edge out the young gunslinger.
We found a way. #ForTheShoe https://t.co/aBUGv0qEyb— Indianapolis Colts (@Indianapolis Colts) 1603054039.0
Detroit Lions 34 - Jacksonville Jaguars 16 - D'Andre Swift finally had a breakout game for the Lions going for 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Detroit routed the Jags. Kerryon Johnson fantasy owners are waiving the white flag at this point as both Swift and Adrian Peterson appear locked in ahead of Johnson on the depth chart. As for the Jaguars, James Robinson struggled to get anything going on the ground, and Keelan Cole added 143 yards on six catches. Another flat performance from a wavering Jacksonville team.
Atlanta Falcons 40 - Minnesota Vikings 23 - Atlanta finally gets their first win on the season after firing Dan Quinn. Now the Falcons and Vikings both sit at 1-5 going into Week 7. Matt Ryan (371 yards/three touchdowns/zero interceptions) and Julio Jones (eight receptions/137 yards/two touchdowns) shined in the blowout victory over the Vikings. Minnesota missed star running back, Dalvin Cook, as they couldn't get anything going until the second half when Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins connected for two scores. Jefferson is developing into a fantasy standout performer.
Congrats on your first win in ATL, Coach! https://t.co/0QNoYg5Yzw— Atlanta Falcons (@Atlanta Falcons) 1603062300.0
New York Giants 20 - Washington Football Team 19 - In a game that somebody had to win, someone did. Games like this make me long for the NFL to add relegation.
Baltimore Ravens 30 - Philadelphia Eagles 28 - As expected the Ravens carried a big lead into the fourth quarter. Unexpectedly, the Eagles scored 22 points in the last quarter and nearly mounted a comeback to send the game to OT. Lamar Jackson needs to run the ball more and it showed again in this game. Jackson finished with 108 yards on the ground and a touchdown, and his 37 yard scoring play was Baltimore's best on the day.
"@Lj_era8 is electrifying when he gets in the open field!" Touchdown ❗️❗️ Tune into the second half on CBS! https://t.co/Vp2d0rXryk— Baltimore Ravens (@Baltimore Ravens) 1603048567.0
Pittsburgh Steelers 38 - Cleveland Browns 7 - Pittsburgh's defense hit Baker Mayfield in the mouth all day until he was replaced by Case Keenum late in the game. The Browns probably weren't as good as their 4-1 record heading into this one, but they aren't a bad team. This result is indicative of how good the Steelers are this year. Pittsburgh continued to involve Chase Claypool this week as he finished with four catches for 74 yards and added a score on a rushing play.
And then there were three. @Seahawks | @Steelers | @Titans https://t.co/wk2libIoYI— Sunday Night Football (@Sunday Night Football) 1603116900.0
Tennessee Titans 42 - Houston Texans 36 - The Texans were almost able to pull off a victory for their interim head coach, Romeo Crennel like Atlanta did but just fell short. The Titans continue to prove doubters wrong as they roll on now sitting at 5-0. Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry combined for 576 yards of offense and six touchdowns! Even though he's gone, the effects of Bill O'Brien's poor management skills will continue to be felt as the cupboard just feels too bare for Deshaun Watson to work with.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38 - Green Bay Packers 10 - Two things from this game are clear. Tampa Bay's defense is really good and secondly they were ready for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Bucs offense wasn't exceptional and there were no standout performers. To win this big just shows you how ineffective the Packers were against this defense.
San Francisco 49ers 24 - Los Angeles Rams 16 - Jimmy Garoppolo got back on track in a big way this week against a good Rams team. He connected with George Kittle for 109 yards and a touchdown, and Raheem Mostert led the team with 65 yards on the ground. Jared Goff threw for two touchdowns for the Rams but wasn't able to surpass 200 yards passing.
Denver Broncos 18 - New England Patriots 12 - In a game that only saw one touchdown on a Cam Newton run, field goals ruled the day and Denver made six of them. Drew Lock returned as starting QB for Denver this game and still looks like he has some rust to shake off.
Miami Dolphins 24 - New York Jets 0 - The Jets probably could've used the recently released running back Le'Veon Bell in this one as they weren't able to score a single point. Adam Gase needs to be fired immediately and the Jets should forfeit the remainder of their games in 2020.
New York Jets 2020 Season Highlights: https://t.co/wBNd0YYPOh— NFL Memes (@NFL Memes) 1603058524.0