Buffalo Beatdown
09/09/2022By: Matthew Cahill
Happy Friday
Last night’s game was advertised as a duel between two of the top teams in the NFL, but the actual result was far from what we expected. At least we have a full slate of NFL games this weekend that will hopefully provide more entertainment than the beatdown that the Bills put on the Rams last night.
Letter Rip!
NFL
Statement Made
Photo: Harry How / Getty Images
Buffalo Dominates the Rams (31-10) to Open the NFL Season
The Bills look scary good. For anybody that had questions about whether or not they are as good as advertised, their performance on both sides of the ball against the Rams last night proved that they’re worthy of being Super Bowl favorites this season. The game was tied 10-10 heading into halftime, largely due to three Buffalo turnovers. LA didn’t stand much of a chance once the Bills started taking care of the ball.
A Game Plan Executed to Perfection
The Bills were clearly prepared for Aaron Donald and the Rams defense. Josh Allen made a concerted effort to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible to ensure that Los Angeles couldn’t collapse on him in the pocket like they did to Joe Burrow in the Super Bowl. Allen converted on his first ten pass attempts, finishing a hyper-efficient 26/31 with 297 yards and 4 total touchdowns.
Los Angeles Gravely Missing OBJ
When Odell Beckham Jr. went down in the Super Bowl, the Rams struggled to find a consistent source of offense other than Cooper Kupp, and we saw more of the same last night. Kupp continued where he left off last season, recording 128 yards and a touchdown on 13 receptions. However, that wasn’t nearly enough, as the rest of the Rams only put together 164 yards altogether. On top of the struggles with finding reliable playmakers, the Buffalo defense was absolutely stalwart. Headlined by the newly acquired Von Miller who recorded two sacks in his debut against his former teammates, Buffalo held the defending champs to zero points in the second half.
The takeaways from this game are that the Bills are just as good, if not better than we thought they would be, and that the Rams have legitimate issues that will likely cause problems for them throughout the season. But there are plenty of games left in the new NFL season!
Watch: Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams Game Highlights
Additional Storylines
ESPN: Buffalo Bills Make Statement by Beating up on Defending Champion Los Angeles Rams
Bleacher Report: Odell Beckham Jr. ‘Overwhelmed’ with Emotion While Attending Rams vs. Bills Opener
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NFL
2022 NFL Weekly Pick’Em
Go Head-to-Head Against Sportsletter Readers for Weekly Prizes
The Sportsletter is welcoming back the NFL with a season-long competition for our subscribers! Join The Sportsletter’s NFL Weekly Pick ‘Em Contest for a shot at weekly prizes. Each week’s individual winner(s) will get the spoils, but points accumulate week after week for a season-long leaderboard, too.
Our friends at Run Your Pool will host the competition, allowing you to play a simple and fast version of competitive Fantasy Football against your fellow readers. *Picks Due on Sundays at 1:00 pm ET
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TENNIS
Previewing the Women’s Final
Photo: Robert Prange / Getty Images
The Final for the Women’s US Open is set: Świątek vs. Jabeur
From incredible upsets to an icon retiring, and even a five-hour match, the 2022 US Open has been an amazing Grand Slam thus far. The women’s tournament concludes this Saturday with a matchup that should definitely be on par with all of the amazing tennis we’ve seen these last few weeks.
How Jabeur Reached the Final
Ons Jabeur has had a relatively easy run through the US Open dropping only 1 set along her way to the finals. Her latest victim was the red-hot Caroline Garcia who had been playing the best tennis of her career while putting together her deepest run in a Grand Slam, which included a 13-match winning streak. But in this semifinals, it was all Jabeur as Garcia seemed to have run out of steam and was unable to put up much of a fight. Garcia was broken four times and never got close to even getting a chance at breaking Jabeur’s serve. In just one hour and six minutes, Jabeur dismantled Garcia in straight sets 6-1, 6-3, and became the first African woman to participate in a final at the US Open in the professional era.
How Świątek Reached the Final
Iga Świątek’s road to the finals started off relatively easy as she cruised through the first three rounds in straight sets each. However, the last three matches she’s played have been tougher with two of them being 3-set comeback wins. In the world number one’s semifinal match against Aryna Sabalenka, Świątek had to dig deep and fight to make her comeback. After losing the first set 3-6 in which she was broken three times, Świątek quickly erased any doubt with a dominant 6-1 second set. The third set looked to become a back-and-forth affair before Sabalenka jumped out to a 4-2 lead. Once again Świątek stormed back and claimed the next 4 games to win the set 6-4, and reach her first US Open finals.
The series record stands tied at 2-2, with Świątek winning their last match at the 2022 Rome Masters in a 6-2, 6-3 straight set win. This is the first time, since 2013, that the US Open final will feature the top two women in the season race standings (with Jabeur’s run in the US Open, she will overtake the #2 spot in the world, even though she is ranked #5 in this tournament).
Additional Storylines
Yahoo!: Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur set Final Between World’s Best Players of 2022
Eurosport: How Racquet Change Sparked Iga Świątek win Over Jessica Pegula at US Open
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WNBA
Sun Shine Bright In Game 5
Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Sun Defeat Sky in Game 5 (72-63), Advance to WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals are officially set! Despite, trailing in the series 2-1, the Sun completed the comeback and won game 5 on the road against the defending champion Chicago Sky. Connecticut. It looked like the Sky were on their way back to the Finals, as the Sun went ice cold in the third, going scoreless for five straight minutes across the end of the third and early fourth quarter. However, everything changed down the stretch.
Connecticut’s Massive Run
Kahleah Copper converted on a transition layup to put the Sky up 63-54 with 4:47 remaining in the game, and then everything changed. From that point on, the Sun closed the game on a massive 18-0 run to end the game. After struggling against a suffocating Chicago defense all night, Connecticut forced three turnovers to get easy baskets in transition to get easy points and take the lead back, and then a dagger jumper by Courtney Williams in the final minute put the game out of reach. It was both a remarkable run by the Sun and a disastrous collapse for the Sky who let a trip back to the Finals slip through their fingers.
Additional Storylines
ESPN: Connecticut Sun Oust Defending Champ Chicago Sky in 5 Games to Reach WNBA Finals
SI: A’ja Wilson Wins WNBA MVP Award Over Breanna Stewart
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THE STORYLINES
Breaking Down the NL East Race Between the Mets and Braves
As we mentioned a couple of days ago, the Mets and the Braves are heading into a tight race down the stretch for the NL East crown. See how the CBS panel of experts choose when deciding who will come out on top. (CBS)
NFL Fantasy 2022 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 1: Quarterbacks
It’s officially the time of year where we all struggle to figure out who is going to be in our fantasy lineups each weekend. If you’re unsure of who you should be starting this week at quarterback, this just may help you make your decision. (NFL.com)
Eurostep or Killer Crossover? Ranking the Filthiest Signature Moves of the Modern NBA
Basketball is just as much an expression of art as it is a sport. Over the years, certain players have iconic moves that have been emulated by all of us in our driveways. From Manu Ginobili’s eurostep to Hakeem Olajuwon’s dream shake, these are the best signature moves in modern NBA history. (Bleacher Report)
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THE HEADLINES
- St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Adam Wainwright, Catcher Yadier Molina tie MLB Record for Batterymates (ESPN)
- MLB set to Implement Rule Changes for 2023, Including a Pitch Clock (CBS)
- Prospects Willy Fanas, Keiderson Pavon Suing Angels over Alleged Reneged Agreements (Bleacher Report)
- Lamar Jackson Announces Deadline for Contract Extension Discussions (SI)
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WEEKEND SCHEDULE
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The Must-Watch List |
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NCAA Football Louisville vs. UCF (Fri. 7:30 pm) (1) Alabama vs. Texas (Sat. 12:00 pm) (24) Tennessee vs. (17) Pittsburgh (Sat. 3:30 pm) (20) Kentucky vs. (12) Florida (Sat. 7:00 pm) (10) USC vs Stanford (Sat. 7:30 pm) (9) Baylor vs (21) BYU (Sat. 10:15 pm)
NFL Steelers at Bengals (Sun. 1:00 pm) Patriots at Dolphins (Sun. 1:00 pm) Raiders at Chargers (Sun. 4:25 pm) Cardinals at Chiefs (Sun. 4:25 pm) Buccaneers at Cowboys (Sun. 8:20 pm)
US Open (27) K. Khachanov vs. (5) C. Ruud (Men’s Semifinal) (Fri. 3:00 PM) (3) C. Alcaraz vs. (22) F. Tiafoe (Men’s Semifinal) (Fri. 7:00 PM) (1) Świątek vs. (5) Jabeur (Women’s Final) (Sat. 4:00 pm) Men’s Final TBD (Sun. 4:00 pm)
MLB Yankees-Rays series
WNBA Finals (3) Connecticut Sun vs. (1) Las Vegas Aces (game 1) (Sun. 3:00 pm)
*All Times ET |