Dolphin Down

09/30/2022

By: Jeff Yoder

Happy Friday

Only one team in the NFL is still undefeated after last night, but the Dolphins may have lost more than one game. A major injury scare headlines today’s weekender edition. Plus, plenty of highlights on the diamond send us into October, and we pause to take stock of the Heisman Trophy watch before Week 5 in college football.

Letter Rip!

NFL

Tua on the Turf

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Bengals Hand Dolphins 1st Loss of Season (27-15) After QB Tua Tagovailoa Hospitalized

Thursday Night Football in Cincinnati brought a plethora of storylines to the forefront of the NFL with the struggling Bengals looking to revitalize their season against the 3-0 Dolphins. Cincy did just that, but the story of the night was a scary moment that saw Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off following a sack. Tagovailoa appeared to be unable to move his extremeties, but team officials later confirmed he had full use of his arms and legs. Backup QB Teddy Bridgewater stepped in and performed well for Miami, but the Bengals reeled off 13 points in the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach. The Bengals (2-2) are back to .500, and the Dolphins (3-1) could be without their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Stats (Top Performers)

QB J. Burrow (CIN): 20/31, 287 yards, 2 TDs

QB T. Bridgewater (MIA): 14/23, 193 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

RB J. Mixon (CIN): 24 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD

WR T. Higgins (CIN): 7 receptions, 124 yards, 1 TD

WR T. Hill (MIA): 10 receptions, 160 yards

Watch: Bengals Take Down Tua-Less Dolphins (27-15)

After last night, the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) are the only undefeated team left in the NFL.

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Bengals’ Victory Overshadowed by Injury to Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa

NFL: What We Learned From Bengals-Dolphins on Thursday Night Football

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MLB

Thursday Night Round-Up

Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images

Blue Jays Clinch, Ohtani Shines & More From Thursday on the Diamond

A busy night in baseball added one more team to the postseason list, and Shohei Ohtani may have had his best outing on the mound. The Blue Jays are into October, but their Wild Card placement remains a mystery with one week to play. Meanwhile, Ohtani flirted with a no-no. We’re about to flip the calendar to the best month in baseball. Here’ are the top highlights from Thursday:

MLB Quick-Hitters

Toronto Clinches: The Blue Jays (87-69) didn’t play baseball on Thursday, but an Orioles’ loss to the Red Sox (5-3) secured Toronto’s spot in the postseason. They lead the Rays and Mariners by two games in the Wild Card race.

Ohtani Runs No-Hitter Through 8 : Angels’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani delivered one of his best pitching performances on Thursday with a no-hit bid into the 8th inning in the Angels’ 4-2 win over the A’s.

Grand Garcia: The Marlins aren’t going to the postseason, but Avisail Garcia recorded his first career grand slam Thursday night in the 8th inning to flip a 2-0 deficit to a 4-2 win over the Brewers.

Bonus: Mets Call Up No. 1 Prospect Francisco Alvarez

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CFB

Photo: Donald Page / Getty Images

Who Leads the Heisman Race as September Ends?

The opening month of college football is about to shift to October, and that means our monthly Heisman watch gets its first appearance. There are few surprises when it comes to C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Bryce Young (Alabama) — the two quarterbacks from title contenders — but a few darkhorses have risen in the first month. USC’s Caleb Williams and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker have garnered attention. Let’s take a look at the top-5 players in the eyes of the oddsmakers after one month.

Current Heisman Odds

QB C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) | Odds: +150

Passing: 1,222 Yards | 16 TDs | 1 INT | 70.5% Comp.

Rushing: 7 Carries | 9 Yards | 0 TDs

QB Bryce Young (Alabama) | Odds: +350

Passing: 1,029 Yards | 13 TDs | 2 INTs | 68.6% Comp.

Rushing: 16 Carries | 150 Yards | 2 TDs

QB Caleb Williams (USC) | Odds: +600

Passing: 1,054 Yards | 9 TDs | 0 INTs | 65.6% Comp.

Rushing: 36 Carries | 100 Yards | 2 TDs

QB Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) | Odds: +1600

Passing: 1,193 Yards | 8 TDs | 0 INTs | 71.7% Comp.

Rushing: 35 Carries | 175 Yards | 3 TDs

QB Stetson Bennett (Georgia) | Odds: +1600

Passing: 1,224 Yards | 5 TDs | 1 INT | 74.2% Comp.

Rushing: 13 Carries | 44 Yards | 4 TDs

2022 Heisman Trophy Odds (Updated Sept. 27)

Additional Storylines

B/R: 2022 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Resetting the Field in Week 5

Fansided: Absolutely No One Saw This Heisman Dark Horse Coming

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THE STORYLINES

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start & Sit

It’s too early to be absolutely sure on which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records, and key details of offenses. (CBS Sports)

MLB Sleeper Teams in 2023

With focus shifting to the MLB postseason in less than 10 days, the majority of fanbases are looking ahead to 2023 with hopes they can be in this position next year. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some sleeper teams to watch in 2023. (Bleacher Report)

World Cup Stock Watch

All 32 finalists are making their closing plans for the tournament, hoping that star players head into the World Cup in top form and don’t get struck down by injury. Who’s hot and who’s not? Let’s take a look. (ESPN)

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THE HEADLINES

Minneapolis to Host Sunday Night Football if Teams Relocate Because of Hurricane (ESPN)
Associated Press Considering Voting Changes to NFL MVP Award (CBS Sports)
Chargers DE Joey Bosa to Have Groin Surgery, Expected to Return This Season (B/R)
USMNT Star Gio Reyna Out Multiple Weeks With Muscle Strain (SI)
Brett Favre’s Charity Gave More Than $130,000 to Southern Miss Athletics (Yahoo! Sports)
Former Indiana Football Player Arrested After Breaking Into LSU Locker Room (USA Today)

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WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

As the calendar turns this weekend, the days ahead bring football, baseball and soccer in bunches before October springs to life with basketball and hockey. The sports equinox is coming. Here’s what we’re watching this weekend:

NFL Week 4 (Sunday)

Bills at Ravens (1:00 pm)

Jaguars at Eagles (1:00 pm)

Broncos at Raiders (4:25 pm)

Chiefs at Buccaneers (8:20 pm)

Full NFL Week 4 Schedule

College Football Week 5 (Saturday)

#7 Kentucky at #14 Ole Miss (Noon)

#2 Alabama at #20 Arkansas (3:30 pm)

#9 Oklahoma State at #16 Baylor (3:30 pm)

#22 Wake Forest at #23 Florida State (3:30 pm)

#10 NC State at #5 Clemson (7:30 pm)