This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Goooood morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with me today.
That Sunday Night Football game was a sheer display of dominance from the Eagles. That’s what we should be talking about today.
The Eagles held the NFL’s No. 1 offense to just 17 points, one offensive touchdown and 245 total yards. That’s unheard of — especially when you’re down a starting safety and a nickel corner. But that’s not the conversation anyone seems to want to have today.
Instead, everyone is talking about the legality of the Tush Push. Again.
Look, I get it. It’s annoying that no one can stop this play. Philadelphia pretty much iced the game with a fourth-quarter drive that took six minutes and 35 seconds off the clock. Philadelphia had two fourth-and-one plays on the drive that ended up as first downs thanks to the Brotherly Shove (I like that name better, btw). Overall in the game, they ran the play four times and converted for three first downs and a touchdown.
As soon as the drive was over all the grumbling and moaning began. You know how it goes. People complain that it’s not actually a football play even though it’s probably the most football play. They also complain about the play causing injuries like the NFL didn’t just institute an 18-game regular season a few years ago. But injuries are oh so concerning now.
Just because a team has success with a play doesn’t mean that play should be banned. It’s not unstoppable — QB sneaks only have a 13.4 percent success rate so far this year, per Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic. That’s a relatively high mark, but it obviously doesn’t point to anything being unstoppable. The Eagles are just really good at this. It’s not their fault other teams aren’t.
Instead of all the complaints and the tired debate about the play, teams should just figure out how to get a stop. That’s how sports work, right?
Can we just give Myles Garrett the MVP now?
I know it’s unheard of for a non-quarterback to win an MVP these days. Especially when the non-quarterback in question might not actually play offense at all.
But, dog. Have y’all seen Myles Garrett play football? The dude is unreal.
Here’s more from our Robert Zeglinski in his weekly NFL Awards column from Week 7:
“With the Browns’ elite defense carrying Cleveland to a 4-2 record, we are witnessing Garrett finally leaping to a true national platform. He’s long been one of the NFL’s more elite defenders since entering the league in 2017, but the Browns have mostly … stunk. Now that they resemble a playoff-adjacent team buoyed by its defense, it will be hard to argue against the four-time Pro Bowler earning his first career Defensive Player of the Year Award in the coming months. This is Garrett’s glorious moment, and he deserves every bit of the limelight.”
The Browns quarterback situation is completely cooked. Deshaun Watson is injured, but even if he wasn’t injured he also just isn’t good anymore. PJ Walker isn’t very good, either.
Garrett’s Browns should be contending for Super Bowls right now. Maybe they still can. Maybe he’s that good. But he really, really needs some help. The Browns can’t keep winning games like this through Garrett alone.
Well, uh, probably not, anyway. He might just be that good right now. Stay tuned.
REQUIRED READING: Read Zeglinski’s full column on Garrett and more here.
I thought I cursed the Rangers
I’m never writing the words “Team of Destiny” again after this sentence.
I’ve been feeling terrible for the last week after calling the Rangers that when they went up 2-0 in their series against the Astros. Can you blame me, though!? Texas looked incredible.
Then it lost three straight games. At home. And only one of them was a nail-biter. The rest didn’t even feel competitive.
But Texas gets to live to fight another day after this bomb from Adolis García. This grand slam has Texas one game away from the World Series.
Statement Slam. #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/B8ZoJLnygx
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 23, 2023
So I’m in the clear, Rangers fans? We’re good? Y’all aren’t going to come after me if … uh … well, you know what? Let’s not even put bad vibes out there.
Have a great Game 7!
Quick hits: The best and worst of Week 7 … Taylor Swift is BACK … and more
— Christian D’Andrea has the best and worst from around the NFL in Week 7. What happened to my Lions, man?
— Speaking of Week 7, Taylor Swift is back in the booth, folks!
— We compared each NFL team to a Halloween Candy. Yes, this one went off the rails, as you might expect.
— Bryan Kalbrosky had 10 NBA rookies make predictions on how their season would go. This is fun.
— Cole Huff has the top-5 starting five lineups from around the NBA as the season is starting.
— Did y’all see these beautiful Kelly Green unis the Eagles wore? You need to if you haven’t. Mary Clarke has you covered here.
That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading. Hope you have a fantastic week ahead of you.
Let’s chat again tomorrow. We out.
-Sykes ✌️