Championship Rematch
Could we have asked for a better start to the 2019 NFL season? We think not. Now we’re on to week two, and the matchup to watch is an NFC Championship game rematch when Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints head to La La Land on Sunday.
You probably remember that no PI call that squashed the Saints’ Super Bowl dreams. Well, revenge is coming, maybe.
The Rams’ defense is going to bring all the pressure to Brees and will look to DT Aaron Donald to do so. The Rams’ run defense will also look to stop RB Alvin Kamara, which will prove difficult, especially after allowing Christian McCaffrey 128 yards on the ground last week.
The Rams have a superstar running back of their own in Todd Gurley, who rushed for 97 yards last week. Quarterback Jared Goff is going to want to channel Taylor Swift and shake off last week’s 23-of-39 for 186 yards, one TD, and one interception performance.
Good luck gentleman. May the odds be ever in your favor – though they’re currently in LA’s favor, as the Rams are three-point favorites.
More Week 2 Matchups to Watch
The New England Patriots made mincemeat of the Steelers in their 33-3 Sunday night victory over Pittsburgh. Next up are the Miami Dolphins, who are coming off a 59-10 loss to the Ravens and who looked worse than the score. Has a team ever forfeited a game due to a fear? Asking for a friend.
Meanwhile, the battle for the NFC North heats up when the 1-0 Minnesota Vikings head to Lambeau to take on the 1-0 Green Bay Packers. This game is all about defense and the QBs – so yeah, football. Kirk Cousins vs. Aaron Rodgers should be a fun one.
Antonio Brown
Earlier this week, Patriots’ wide receiver Antonio Brown’s former trainer, Britney Taylor, filed a lawsuit with the Southern District of Florida accusing Brown of sexually assaulting her three times in 2017 and 2018. Brown has denied the incidents.
Taylor, who is getting married this weekend, will meet with the NFL next week as part of the league’s investigation. No one will divulge whether the Patriots knew about the allegations before signing Brown earlier this week. However, per @espn, sources say the Patriots didn’t know, as representatives for both Brown and Taylor had kept all discussions confidential until Taylor filed the civil suit; meaning that, theoretically, no one knew – not the Patriots, not the Raiders, not the league.
Brown has practiced this week and it remains to be seen if he will be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
Watch It Like Beckham
The NFL allows jewelry but prohibits the wearing of hard objects during games. Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. doesn’t care.
Beckham wore his almost $200K Richard Mille watch in the Browns week one opener against the Titans. For that price, it’s a shame it couldn’t stop time before Cleveland committed 18 penalties, but we digress.
According to Beckham, the watch is plastic, so it shouldn’t be an issue. The NFL may feel differently. Be sure to keep a close watch on this story (100% did that on purpose. You’re welcome).
MLB Roundup
The Los Angeles Dodgers are NL West Champions and the first team in Major League Baseball to clinch their division. Congrats to the boys in blue!
The Atlanta Braves have all but won the NL East, while St. Louis has a four game lead over the Cubs and the Brewers. Unfortunately, Milwaukee will be without star and MVP-candidate Christian Yelich, who fractured his right kneecap on Tuesday.
In the American League, the Yankees will win the East, the Astros will win the West, and the Twins have a four-game lead on the Indians.
Playoff baseball and football and Halloween. We’re counting down to October.