Rookie Rollout
08/11/2023By: Jeff Yoder
Happy Friday
I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for some football highlights (finally!). I know, it’s only preseason, but it’s a welcome sight after a long six months away from the gridiron. Summer is fading. Fall is approaching. Let’s ditch the shells and go full speed.
Letter Rip!
______________________________________________________________________________________
NFL
Preseason Primer: Rookie Rollout
QB CJ Stroud Struggles in Texans Opener, WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba Shines for Seahawks & More for NFL Preseason Week 1
The first official week of the NFL preseason is upon us, and we have questions. Before you jump ship and write off the preseason, these games still matter. A shortened schedule (3 games) means teams have a short window to get regular-season ready. We already saw two games last night that gave us a taste of rookies we’ve been waiting to see. The Texans beat the Patriots (20-9) in QB C.J. Stroud’s first NFL action. Stroud was just 2-for-4 with 13 yards, one sack and one interception in his first two series. The game looked a little fast for Houston’s new franchise quarterback. Patriots rookie DE Keion White shined with three tackles and plenty of pressure. He was all over the field and looks to be the perfect fit for Bill Belichick. In the nightcap, the Seahawks rallied to beat the Vikings (24-13). Seattle rookie WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba looked solid in his first action (3 catches, 25 yards). Two games down with 14 more in the next 72 hours, and we have plenty of rookies to keep an eye on.
Thursday Night Highlights
Rookie Rollout (Rookies to Watch This Weekend)
QB Bryce Young: Starting for Panthers (Sat. 4:00 pm ET)
RB Bijan Robinson: Starting for Falcons (Fri. 7:00 pm ET)
WR Jalin Hyatt: Starting for Giants (Fri. 7:00 pm ET)
QB Anthony Richardson: Playing for Colts (Sat. 1:00 pm ET)
DT Jalen Carter: Starting for Eagles (Sat. 7:00 pm ET)
WR Zay Flowers: Starting for Ravens (Sat. 7:00 pm ET)
Can the Ravens Keep the Streak?
With the preseason ramping up, one ongoing storyline is still alive in 2023. The Ravens are still riding their NFL record 23-game preseason win streak dating back to 2015. They haven’t lost a preseason game since three years before we launched The Sportsletter. In that time, Baltimore has produced six winning seasons in eight years, but zero Super Bowl trips. At least they have this mark to hang their hats on. Will it continue?
Longest NFL Preseason Win Streaks
Ravens: 23 Games (2015-Present)
Packers: 19 Games (1959-1963)
Bears: 14 Games (1957-1959)
Chargers: 14 Games (1960-1963)
Colts: 13 Games (1964-1967)
49ers: 13 Games (1991-1993)
Read More
FOX Sports: Can Ravens Extend Historic Preseason Win Streak?
ESPN: Texans’ C.J. Stroud Pledges to Learn From Mistakes in Preseason Debut
Yahoo! Sports: Preseason Football Matters: Here Are 4 Reasons Why
FiveThirtyEight: The NFL Preseason is Not Predictive — But It Can Often Seem That Way
CBS Sports: 1 Thing to Watch in Each NFL Preseason Week 1 Game; Bryce Young, Calvin Ridley & More
______________________________________________________________________________________
GOLF
Spieth’s Big Statement
Jordan Spieth (-7) Leads the Field After Round 1 of the FedExCup Playoffs, But There’s Work to be Done
The FedExCup Playoffs are underway at TPC Southwind for the first event of the postseason — the St. Jude Championship. Just 70 players are still standing as the playoffs begin, and we’ll trim the field to 50 by Sunday. Plenty of golfers went low on Thursday after an early weather delay, but one man stood alone. Jordan Spieth (-7) fired an opening-round 63 to sit alone atop the leaderboard. Spieth shot birdie-eagle on Holes 15 and 16 to wrap up a bogey-free round, and the 31st player in the FedExCup standings is well on his way to a massive points boost this weekend.
Round 1 Leaderboard
Jordan Spieth (-7)
Tom Kim (-6)
Emiliano Grillo (-5)
Collin Morikawa (-5)
Lucas Glover (-4)
Tommy Fleetwood (-4)
Xander Schauffele (-4)
Other Notable Scorecards: C. Young (-3), S. Im (-3), C. Conners (-3), T. Finau (-3), S. Scheffler (-3), R. McIlroy (-3), H. Matsuyama (-3), P. Cantlay (-2), J. Day (-2), M. Homa (-2), R. Fowler (E), W. Clark (E), V. Hovland (+2), J. Rahm (+3), J. Rose (+6) | Full Leaderboard
Round 1 Highlights | Round 2 Tee Times
Read More
PGA: McIlroy & Scheffler Shoot 67 at St. Jude as Rahm Struggles
GolfChannel: Leader Jordan Spieth (63) Shoots His Best Round of the Year — But It Didn’t Feel Like It
______________________________________________________________________________________
EPL
The Harry Situation
After Whirlwind Day, Harry Kane Gives Green Light to Leave Tottenham for Bayern Munich on Eve of Premier League Kickoff
England loses a legend! On the eve of the 2023-24 English Premier League season, Tottenham marksman Harry Kane is reportedly gone. The Spurs striker had been the subject of transfer rumors for nearly a year with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in hot pursuit. Tottenham received the latest $110 million transfer offer on Wednesday, which Kane initially declined (reportedly) hoping it might remain in England. After late-night calls with Bundesliga officials, he changed his tone. Spurs departs with a club legend and waves goodbye to an era of Kane at the 9-spot, and this season’s Premier League outlook instantly looks different.
Who Is Harry Kane?
The 30-year-old Englishman from Walthamstow has spent the last decade as the target man for Tottenham. He’s the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 280 goals, and he’s also the captain of the England National Team. He has 213 goals in Premier League play (2nd all-time), just 48 behind Alan Shearer’s record (260). And regardless of Tottenham’s slide in the past few seasons, Harry Kane is quite possibly England’s biggest soccer star of the last decade. Now, he’s moving to Germany where more goals await at Bayern.
Matchday 1 of the Premier League season begins this afternoon with Burnley facing the two-time champions, Manchester City (3:00 pm ET). Full EPL Opening Weekend Schedule
Read More
The Guardian: Harry Kane Ready to Accept Bayern Munich Move & Leave Tottenham
B/R: Harry Kane & Bayern Munich Reportedly Agree to 4-Year Deal Amid Tottenham Transfer
______________________________________________________________________________________
HIGHLIGHTS
MLB
Clayton Kershaw Wins in Return to Dodgers (2-1)
Pirates No. 1 Pick Paul Skenes Throws 101 MPH in Triple-A
Braves’ Matt Olson Hits 40th HR to Tie Shohei Ohtani
Women’s World Cup (Quarterfinals)
Spain Beats Netherlands With Extra-Time Winner (2-1)
WNBA
Mercury Set WNBA Record for Points in a Quarter (45), Beat Sun (90-84)
*WNBA’s 3 Last-Placed Teams All Win on Same Night (Mercury, Fever, Storm)
LPGA
Ally Ewing (-4) Leads After Round 1 of AIG Women’s Open
______________________________________________________________________________________
STORYLINES
A new book written by a professional gambler alleges that Phil Mickelson’s career wagers exceeded $1 billion and that he lost around $100 million. It also claims Mickelson tried to place a substantial bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while he was on Team USA. (Sporting News)
Six MLB teams are under intense pressure in the final two months of baseball season, and there’s more to play for than just a playoff berth. Here’s why the Angels, Padres and more are feeling the heat. (CBS Sports)
Updated Fantasy Football Rankings
Regular season football is fast approaching, and you’re likely drafting your team soon. With injuries, roster cuts and depth charts making waves during training camps, who’s rising and falling in our Fantasy Football rankings? (The Ringer)
______________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS
- Lauren James Receives 2-Match Ban, Will Only Return if England Makes WC Final (FOX Sports)
- Netherlands Star Slams USWNT’s ‘Big Mouths’ After World Cup Exit (ESPN)
- Saints Sign Former Cowboys & Giants LB Jaylon Smith (CBS Sports)
- NBA Reveals Season-Openers & Christmas Day Games (Yahoo! Sports)
- Video Surfaces of Bengals-Packers Brawl During Joint Practice (SI)
- 49ers CEO Jed York Accused of Insider Trading & Covering Up College Exam Cheating Scandal (Yahoo! Sports)
- Petty White Sox Keep Kenyan Middleton’s Name Off Scoreboard After Team Criticism, Yankees Trade (Sporting News)
______________________________________________________________________________________
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
The Weekend Must-Watch List
Say goodbye to the summer dry spell! Golf playoffs, NFL preseason, soccer in droves and plenty more are in store this weekend. The fall sports schedule is blooming, and we’re here for it. Here’s what we’re watching this weekend:
FedExCup Playoffs
St. Jude Championship (All Weekend)
NFL Preseason
Packers at Bengals (Fri. 7:00 pm)
Jets at Panthers (Sat. 4:00 pm)
Eagles at Ravens (Sat. 7:00 pm)
Chargers at Rams (Sat. 9:00 pm)
Chiefs at Saints (Sun. 1:00 pm)
49ers at Raiders (Sun. 4:00 pm)
Full NFL Preseason Week 1 Schedule
*All Games on NFL Network
MLB
Braves-Mets Series
Yankees-Marlins Series
Guardians-Rays Series
Angels-Astros Series
Rangers-Giants Series
Orioles-Mariners Series
FIFA Women’s World Cup (Quarterfinals)
Japan vs. Sweden (Fri. 3:30 am)
Australia vs. France (Sat. 3:00 am)
England vs. Colombia (Sat. 6:30 am)
Soccer
EPL: Chelsea vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30 am)
Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Charlotte FC (Fri. 8:30 pm)
WNBA
Mystics at Aces (Fri. 10:00 pm)
Sun at Wings (Sat. 8:00 pm)
Sky at Mystics (Sun. 3:00 pm)
*All Times ET