The Jets got plenty of breaks and have nothing to show for it…
the 49ers somehow stayed on schedule, and MLB’s international stars take center stage tonight.
Niners Ground Jets
What Happened: It would be unfair to say that all the stars had aligned for the Jets by the time kickoff rolled around last night. After all, opening the season against a team fresh off a Super Bowl appearance is no picnic.
This wasn’t the 49ers at full strength, however. Extended hold-outs from Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams threatened to compromise both players’ effectiveness. Then, the bombshell that dropped 90 minutes before Monday Night Football was set to begin: All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey would be inactive.
With San Francisco’s biggest star succumbing to injury just as the Jets’ biggest one was finally taking the field again, it felt like New York might start its season by stealing a victory on the road.
Why It Matters: LOL no. No CMC, no problem, as Kyle Shanahan simply plugged backup Jordan Mason into the vacant starting spot and got the same level of production.
Rodgers and the offense couldn’t sustain any sort of momentum, and the defense looked like a unit that’s not ready to singlehandedly keep the team competitive for another season.
It was all doom and gloom for the Niners this summer; injuries, contract disputes, even the Super Bowl hangover felt like reasons to believe this team may struggle. As +550 championship contenders, it felt like the team had nowhere to go but down.
Despite it all, Brock Purdy and the boys made a statement in running roughshod over the Jets that they are still the top dog in the NFC. A title is the only successful end to this team’s season; if we can expect an elevated level of play once McCaffrey re-enters the lineup, that’s a goal well within reach.
What Weâre Watching Today
Mets at Blue Jays (7:07 PM ET) –Â Last night’s 3-2 win over Toronto has allowed the Mets to slip into the NL’s final wild card spot, toppling (momentarily, at least) Atlanta in the process. Tonight, New York’s second-half ace David Peterson hopes to get the best of former Met Chris Bassitt.
Lynx at Dream (7:30 PM ET) –Â No WNBA team has been better than Minnesota (9-1) since the league returned following the Olympics. Atlanta is clinging to its decreasing odds of qualifying for the playoffs after losing six of its last eight; facing the top contender from the West probably isn’t the way to get back on track.
Cubs at Dodgers (10:10 PM ET) –Â Japanese excellence will be on full display in this National League matchup. Fresh off a combined no-hitter against the Pirates, Shota Imanaga takes the bump for Chicago. He’ll be opposed by countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was rounding into form in three June starts before hitting the IL with a triceps injury.
Of course, shoo-in MVP Shohei Ohtani leads L.A.’s lineup as he sets his sights on becoming the first 50-50 man (home runs and stolen bases, not a gambling thing, we swear) in MLB history.
The Look Ahead
Pablo Lopez STRIKEOUTS – We wish we knew which Lopez was going to take the mound tonight. In four of his most recent starts, the Minnesota right-hander has twice struck out nine batters and twice struck out three, so he really could go either way on his line of 7.5 strikeouts tonight. And don’t take this as some sort of endorsement of the Angels’ offense either, but across the last two weeks of play, the Los Angeles lineup ranks in the bottom-10 of MLB in whiffs. The Halos’ approach doesn’t lead to many runs, but they don’t swing and miss a ton either, so we suggest you fade Lopez’s high K-total here.
