After sitting Jayden Daniels last Sunday, the Commanders move on to the staggering Falcons, victims of a surprising 30-0 drubbing by the Panthers. Will Daniels play? We’ll see. But if there remains any doubt about Daniels’ knee, the Falcons appear to present a soft target for Marcus Mariota. A tougher challenge — the Chargers — awaits the following week.
Just sayin’: If Dan Quinn wasn’t wearing his baseball hat backwards like a 14-year-old when Mariota ran into him, the brim of the cap might have saved his face from a bloody cut. But yeah, the result of the collision did create a dramatic visual.
Upon further review: The time is right for the big-league introduction of robo umps and a challenge system for balls and strikes. But MLB is too timid. Instead of only two challenges, teams should start games with five. Fans wouldn’t mind. Judging from reaction to its minor league use, people get a kick out of challenges.
Last place lament: It’s no secret that Orioles’ hitting prospects — so highly touted as they came through Norfolk — have underachieved in Baltimore.
Micro numbers: Pardon Pirates’ 23-year-old righthander Paul Skenes if he’s not overly impressed with his baseball best 1.97 ERA. A year ago, his ERA was 1.96.
Surprise: When the NFL schedule was drawn up, nobody thought Sunday’s late afternoon nationally televised game between the Ravens and Chiefs would feature a pair of 1-2 teams.
TV timeout: Roger Goodell said this week that he wouldn’t rule out a streaming-only Super Bowl by around 2030. Meanwhile, even NFL lifers may want to stream a movie on Monday night to avoid Jets at Dolphins, combined record 0-6.
Long range: There was another tape-measure field goal Sunday, a 62-yarder by the Vikings’ Will Reichard. Greater distance combined with improved accuracy from kickers is warping field dimensions.
Future watch: The least surprising thing in baseball is the Dodgers blowing another game, this time after Shohei Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings. The most surprising thing will be the Dodgers getting back to the World Series with that bullpen of theirs.
Reign-y weather: With Cal Raleigh reaching the 60-home run mark on the night the Mariners clinched their first A.L. West title since 2001 there’s a lot to celebrate in the Great Northwest.
Playing around: For the first time this season the Yankees’ pitcher-catcher duo on Wednesday was lefthander Max Fried throwing to Ben Rice. Fried Rice.
Nepo baby: Bruce Pearl waiting until college basketball was on the doorstep of another season before stepping down as Auburn coach and turning over the job to his son was the shrewdest play anybody will draw up all year.
Hoop du jour: As anybody who watches can attest, there are elements of roller derby to WNBA play. With her team in the playoff semifinals, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, a former NBA assistant, says the physicality between teams is “out of control.” That type of play, she notes, “would not fly in the NBA. There would be fights.”
At what price: The tennis ball from Carlos Alcaraz’s U.S. Open championship point sold for $88,900 at Sotheby’s public auction. What’s that saying about a fool and his money?
A better way: On Saturday, a young man named Alberto caught Mike Trout’s 400th home run ball at Denver’s Coors Field. Rather than hold the ball for a large ransom, he gave it to Trout for signed memorabilia and a chance to play catch with the Angels star. Can you put a price on the experience of playing catch with a future Hall of Famer?
Bob Molinaro is a former Virginian-Pilot sports columnist. His Weekly Briefing runs Fridays in The Pilot and Daily Press. He can be reached at bob5molinaro@gmail.com and via Twitter@BobMolinaro.
