This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
CBS Sports HQ Newsletter
Your Ultimate Guide to Every Day in Sports
We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge.
⚾ Good morning to everyone, but especially to …
AARON JUDGE
All rise! … Again and again and again. Aaron Judge hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season on Sunday to reach 50 for the third time in his esteemed career, along with 2017 and 2022.
- Judge is just the fifth player in MLB history to hit 50 dingers in three different seasons, joining Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (four each) and Alex Rodriguez (three).
- Judge has seven home runs in his last six games, turning the dog days of summer into Judgment Days for opposing pitchers.
With Judge running hot alongside Juan Soto, the Yankees have won four of five and own the best record in the AL. But they don’t own the best record in MLB, and they also don’t own the top spot in Matt Snyder’s MLB Power Rankings.
- Dodgers (previous: 2)
- Yankees (3)
- Phillies (1)
- Brewers (5)
- Orioles (4)
Elsewhere around MLB …
👍 Honorable mentions
🏈 And not such a good morning for …
THE FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
The first big upset of the 2024 college football season happened in … the first game of the 2024 college football season. Georgia Tech upended reigning ACC champion and 10th-ranked Florida State, 24-21, in Dublin on Aidan Birr‘s 44-yard field goal as time expired.
- The Yellow Jackets’ victory ends a 15-game losing streak against top-10 teams, one that stretched back to a 2015 and another defeat of the Seminoles.
- Georgia Tech churned out 190 yards rushing on 5.3 yards a pop and didn’t allow a sack against a ballyhooed Florida State defensive line. Jamal Haynes had 75 yards on just 11 carries and he scored twice.
- Meanwhile, Florida State managed just 98 yards on 31 carries, and in DJ Uiagalelei‘s FSU debut, the Seminoles’ longest passing play was just 21 yards. The Seminoles had at least one pass longer than that in all but one game last season.
Before you yell at me about not talking about the winners, let’s talk about them. Brent Key has done a marvelous job with the Yellow Jackets. They’ve won 10 games outright as underdogs since the start of 2022. Saturday, Haynes King kept things on track and didn’t throw an interception after having 16 last year. While his stats won’t blow anyone away, his play epitomized Georgia Tech as a whole: solid, disciplined and opportunistic when needed.
OK, now let’s talk about Florida State. The Seminoles lost a ton from last year’s team, but they also brought in a ton in the transfer portal, with Uiagalelei the most important. And much like Georgia Tech was a reflection of King, Florida State was a reflection of Uiagalelei: underwhelming. Same for big-name transfers at running back and wide receiver and on defense. The portal can fix a lot of things, but it can’t fix everything, Shehan Jeyarajah writes.
Florida State rightly had qualms about not making the playoff last year, and it spent all summer talking about wanting to leave the ACC. Now, with a chance to get revenge by getting into the 12-team playoff, the Seminoles are already in a big hole, Will Backus notes.
- Backus: “Florida State can’t afford another slip-up on a slate that seems to be filled with pitfalls. And if Saturday is any indication, this doesn’t look like a team that’s built to win 11 straight games. … Of course, it’s never wise to make blanket statements after one game — especially a Week 0 game. Plenty of teams have taken a disastrous start and turned it into a strong late-season run to college football’s postseason. … It’s going to be a steep climb to get anywhere near the top, though.”
👎 Not so honorable mentions
🏈 NFL roundup: DaRon Bland injured, updates on Steelers’, Patriots’ QB battles
The next time the NFL is on, the games will actually count. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, DaRon Bland won’t be there at the start … or for a while after that. The All-Pro cornerback suffered a stress fracture in his foot at practice. He’ll miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery.
- Bland, 25, led the NFL with nine interceptions and set an NFL record with five pick sixes last year. He and Trevon Diggs, who is coming back from a torn ACL, were expected to form one of the league’s top cornerback tandems, but now we’ll have to wait for that to play out.
- As Garrett Podell notes, Dallas could bring in outside help, but for now Jerry Jones says he’s not looking to do so and he likes fifth-round pick Caelen Carson.
- Jones also has no update on CeeDee Lamb.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are one of two teams that hasn’t declared its Week 1 starting quarterback, but the finish line is in sight. Russell Wilson started preseason Week 3 and led a touchdown drive on his only series. Justin Fields then entered and led a touchdown drive as well, though he didn’t fare as well thereafter. Mike Tomlin says an announcement is coming this week. Tyler Sullivan assessed where things stand now.
The Patriots‘ quarterback battle, meanwhile, may have taken a twist. Jacoby Brissett hurt his throwing shoulder while getting sacked Sunday night, and Drake Maye came in and threw a touchdown pass. We’ll see how both factors impact things there.
Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris dies
Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died Sunday after a brief battle with an acute illness. He was 70 years old.
- Earlier this month, the Ravens said D’Alessandris had been hospitalized with the illness and would miss significant time.
- D’Alessandris had been with the Ravens since 2017 and coached offensive lines for more than four decades, spending time with the Chiefs, Bills and Chargers as well as Duke and Pittsburgh.
- George Warhop, who was brought in while D’Alessandris was hospitalized, will take over as full-time offensive line coach. He, too, is a long-time coach who last served as the Texans‘ offensive line coach in 2022.
“‘Joe D.’ was a rock, a great coach and a better person,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in part of his statement. “He cared about the team deeply, exhibiting a relentless passion to excel while displaying genuine love for his players.”
📺 What we’re watching Monday
🎾 US Open, 12 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Royals at Guardians, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Astros at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Fever at Dream, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Blue Jays at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Rays at Mariners, 9:40 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Liberty at Sun, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Go to Source
Author: Zachary Pereles
August 26, 2024 | 9:31 am
