The AFC East is having some pass-rushing problems…
while the AL Central has become must-see down the stretch.
What’s Going on in the AFC East?
What Happened: If there is anyone loving the swirl of trade rumors at this point of the NFL preseason, it’s gotta be Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Just look around: in New England, the Patriots have to field phone calls about disgruntled pass rusher Matthew Judon. The veteran linebacker has made no secret he’s unhappy with his current contract, and with Jerod Mayo’s squad fully in rebuild mode, other teams smell blood in the water.
Not to be outdone, the Jets are Jets-ing in new and innovative ways. After trading for edge rusher Haason Reddick, seemingly without touching base with him or his agent, Team Rodgers officially has a disaster on its hands. Reddick refuses to report to the team until he gets a new contract, the team won’t discuss a new contract until he reports…and there is no resolution in sight for a team that is rumored to have Super Bowl aspirations but seems to be firing on a Pee-Wee level instead.
Why It Matters: That’s two premier sack artists in the AFC East attempting to find new teams. Think Allen and the Bills are happy to hear about all of this discord?
Despite bleeding veteran talent and gearing up for a shift of focus on offense, Buffalo remains the favorite of the division at +165. The Jets aren’t too far behind at +170, with Miami in the running at +220. The Patriots are an afterthought at +2400.
Obviously, any talent on the defensive side of the ball moving teams would stand to benefit Allen’s ability to carry his team to another division title. The Dolphins and their quick-strike offense are still formidable, but the more teams around the Bills fail to satisfy their veteran talent, the more it feels like the East crown won’t be leaving Orchard Park anytime soon.
How We’re Feeling Today
Royals at Twins (7:40 PM ET) – The Twins are second in the AL Central standings and currently occupy the second wild card spot in the AL. The Royals? Third in the Central, third in the wild card. These games will only get better as the stakes rise.
Dodgers at Brewers (8:10 PM ET) – Despite dropping their last two, the Brewers have a 7.5-game lead in the NL Central and the second-best run differential in all of baseball, trailing only the Yankees. LA’s path to the NL West is getting a bit crowded as the Diamondbacks and Padres hang tough, but getting Mookie Betts back into the lineup paid immediate dividends in a win last night.
The Look Ahead
Kyle Harrison STRIKEOUTS – Harrison goes against Atlanta today, and his line stands at 4.5 for his 21st start of the season. The Giants lefty has flashed big strikeout ability, ending his July with an 11-K performance; for the season, he’s gotten 5+ strikeouts 11 times. Atlanta is third in MLB over the last two weeks of plays in strikeouts as a team and struck out a whopping 16 times last night, so their potential to swing and miss is sky high at the moment.
