“POSTCARD FROM MY COTTAGE ON A GREAT SPORTS WEEKEND”
I am on a road trip for a couple of days.
Watching-Writing-Sounding off from my cottage in the Northern Adirondacks of New York.
PADRES..Coming home on the brink-the brink of elimination because the Milwaukee Brewers best beat the Padres best….Two wins in a 20-hour span, coming from behind, and beating Adrian Morejon and then Mason Miller…That’s why the Brew-Crew won (103-games) this season..The Padres had baserunners all Saturday night, going (1-9) with runners in scoring position. Then Sunday, they lose another tension filled game with walks and a key error and timely basehit in the 9th.
PADRES QUESTIONS..Easy to second guess, but why start Robby Ray, who has not pitched well in Padres starts, over Walker Buehler, who might have stayed one extra day then go on maternity leave? Or why not Randy Vasquez? Or why not Vasquez in long relief rather than going to a bullpen day, the first day, and having to fill 7-long innings…As important as the trade deadline deals were, Ray and Casey Mize have let the team down too.
DODGERS..Weird as it sounds, it’s been a do-nothing season for Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker but their last two weeks of action, and then playoff games, may preserve this team to carry forward in the playoffs. Timely hits and home runs from two guys, who did virtually nothing for about 150-games this season. LA still needs Ohtani-Freeman to start hitting to make their run back to the World Series.
CHARGERS..Never would I have thought this was possible, a Jim Harbaugh team being (0-4), but this head coach, by hiring Mike McDaniel as Off Coordinator, has turned Justin Herbert into a mediocre QB..The numbers are staggering. In the loss in Seattle..1-TD…2 Interceptions..1-fumble..4-sacks…no run game to speak of…no deep threat speed receivers…nothing from tight ends…It’s on the Chargers decision makers more than it is on the quarterback or the roster they put around him.
RAMS..Came within minutes of being a (1-3) team..but rallied to beat the stumbling Eagles-whose offense looks like it has a broken wing..Matthew Stafford threw 2-more picks..but WR-Puka Nacua went off big time (9R-125Y) in the win…all those after the losses of Aaron David-Myles Garrett and TE-Jacob Feerguson..They won and are (2-2).
RAIDERS..Statement game, and how impressive is this first year presentation of Klint Kubiak’s playbook?…Kirk Cousins is showing gamer ability each Sunday-winging it..(365Y) passing-2TD…and how about TEs-R-US..the three big play-big men combining for (16R-200Y)..Kansas City knew Brock Bowers and Mike Mayer. would be targeted-did everything possible to stop them, and could not control them…Of course the Chiefs are (4-0) thanks to Kenneth Walker’s (177Y) big play performance..Might have been a Raiders loss-but they won the respect of alot of people-Kubiak has changed the culture there.
AZTECS..Thank you special teams for saving the season..That was quite a comeback shootout win infront of all those empty seats at Snapdragon Stadium-Saturday..Texas State QB-Brad Jackson piled up (452APY) but saw his efforts (565Y) offense wasted..The Aztecs took a kickoff back (96YD)..had a (32Y) pick six..blocked a field goal..recovered a fumbled punt snap..Not much from QB-Jayden Denegal again, but freshman RB-Josiah Lewis debuted with a gutsy (111Y) rushing day in the comeback win..They needed to stop the bleeding..but next week it’s off to Oregon State in the next Pac 12-games.
USC..Defense, yes defense, the reason they beat Washington on Saturday night…a long fumble return TD for the comeback win..Lincoln Riley needed that for sure…but needs a bunch more before the first of December.
UCLA-OREGON..Bye weeks for both…Is it next Saturday yet? Bruins-Ducks at Autzen Stadium.
=============
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