This Week in Sports Talk (TWIST) is our weekly report on the big sports news headlines and major events, plus a preview of what’s up next. For November 6, 2022, here are the weekly top 10 sports news headlines to know: the big stories and major events in sports news this week in the NFL, MLB and more.
weekly top 10 big sports news headlines and major events: November 6, 2022
It’s been a busy week in the world of sports, with all four major professional sports leagues in North America in action at the same time. Plus college football! And today is the running of the TCS New York Marathon. Here’s what you need to know.
1. NFL week 8 roundup.
Courtesy of CBS Sports, here are the highlights of Week 8 of the NFL season, in case you missed any of it. The headline? Pretty much all of the pre-season predictions have turned out to be wrong. The two previously hapless New York teams have exceeded expectations. And the once-fearsome Tampa Bay and Green Bay have been surprisingly weak.
- Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles scored a 35-13 rout against the Pittsburg Steelers. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw four touchdowns.
- The Seattle Seahawks beat the New York Giants, 27-13, to maintain their lead in the NFC West.
- Our beloved New England Patriots rallied past the New York Jets, 22-10. With the win, head coach Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second-most wins ever by an NFL coach.
- The Minnesota Vikings kept their winning streak going with a 34-26 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
- Green Bay lost, 27-17, in Buffalo, their fourth loss in a row. It’s two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers’ second-longest losing streak as a starter.
- The San Francisco 49ers continued their domination of the LA Rams with a 31-14 win. The 49ers have won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams.
- On Monday night, the Cleveland Browns scored a huge win, 32-13, against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
As the NFL trading period opened, the Miami Dolphins made a big move, getting Bradley Chubb from the Denver Broncos. CBS Sports gives Miami strong marks for this trade, noting “the 26-year-old former NC State star fills a huge need for Miami. He has 5.5 sacks this season, while the Dolphins have just 15 as a team.” In return, the Broncos get draft picks and running back Chase Edmonds. To mitigate that loss, on Tuesday Miami also announced that it was getting Jeff Wilson from the San Francisco 49ers to help replace Edmonds.
2. Thursday Night Football: Eagles 29, Texans 17
The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 8-0 for the first time in franchise history with a 29-17 win over the Houston Texans. The game was closer than the final score makes it look: the Eagles battled back after being tied 14-14 at halftime.
3. NFL Week 9 notable games to come
Halfway through the season, the NFL continues to be unpredictable. The two dominant teams are the 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles and the 6-1 Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, two of the teams favored to win their divisions are struggling and face each other today: the 3-4 Rams at the 3-5 Bucs.
The pressing question of the day in the NFL is a simple one: will the Upside Down reverse in the second half of the season? Specifically, will the once dominant Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and LA Rams do better? Will the New York Jets, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks fall back to earth?
Courtesy of our Sports Desk and ESPN, here are some of the big games of note for the rest of week:
- Panthers (2-6) at Bengals (4-4). The Bengals are looking to avoid dipping below the .500 mark before their Week 10 bye. Losing wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to injury is one hurdle. Joe Burrow’s 29 sacks season to date is another.
- Seahawks (5-3) at Cardinals (3-5). An important NFC West matchup.
- Rams (3-4) at Bucs (3-5). Matt Stafford versus Tom Brady. Need we say more?
- Bills (6-1) at Jets (5-3). The Bills are seeking their first 7-1 start since 1993. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will attempt to rebound from a three-interception nightmare last week.
- Ravens (5-3) at Saints (3-5). Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will play against the Saints for the first time ever.
4. Dan Snyder explores “strategic options” for Commanders.
Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has hired Bank of America Securities to consider “potential transactions” regarding the franchise. It’s unclear if the remit is to sell the franchise or to sign new minority owners (Snyder bought out all of the previous minority owners when scandal started to brew).
The Commanders are valued at $5.6 billion, sixth-highest in the NFL – which means that a sale could be the largest in NFL history. CBS Sports notes: “The news came on the same day it was reported that the U.S. attorney’s office has opened a criminal investigation regarding the team’s finances. Mary Jo White is currently investigating the team for a variety of issues, including workplace misconduct, sexual harassment and financial improprieties.”
5. Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving suspended + other dramatic events
Irving suspended for a minimum of 5 games
On Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets announced that Kyrie Irving would be suspended without pay for a minimum of five games, as he is “currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.” This sanction came after Irving publicized a film on social media “containing deeply disturbing anti-Semitic hate.” Irving has a huge platform and is highly influential on social media. The Anti-Defamation League Tweeted on Friday that “the film/book is now a best seller in multiple categories on Amazon.”
Irving posted an apology on Instagram, but as of this posting he has not followed through on promises to meet personally with leaders in the Jewish community. Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Friday that Irving’s Instagram post was “a step” toward returning to the team, but Irving’s suspension will not end until he takes more of them.
Irving is losing lucrative sponsorship deals as part of the fallout this week. Nike announced that it was severing ties with the player, whose latest shoe was expected to drop in time for the holidays.
Nets coach Steve is out – is Udoka in?
In other news, the Nets fired head coach Steve Nash this week. Jacque Vaughn will serve as interim head coach. And in a truly odd turn of events, our Sports Desk reports that the team is looking to hire the Boston Celtics suspended coach Ime Udoka. You may remember, he’s been suspended for the entire season due to an undisclosed (and possibly non-consensual) romantic relationship with a member of the Nets organization. Ummm . . . does that make any kind of sense?
Those who support the idea will note that Udoka is a known quantity for the Nets. He had been an assistant coach in Brooklyn before joining the Celtics. And of course, he led Boston to the NBA Finals in his first year as a head coach. Stepping right over the Nets, who were supposed to be real contenders last season. Reports are that the Celtics will release him if the Nets want him back. Whether the NBA has anything to say about this move is unclear, as there has been silence from the Commissioner on the matter so far.
6. NBA injuries sideline big names
Sprinkling salt on the wounds of the Brooklyn Nets this week, Ben Simmons will miss the Nets’ next two games because of soreness and swelling in his left knee.
James Harden was starting to play some seriously good basketball this season, but now he’s been sidelined. The Philadelphia 76ers star will be out for a month with a right foot tendon strain. His teammate Joel Embiid has also missed 3 games already this season due to various injuries.
7. NBA standings
The Portland Trail Blazers remain in first place in the West, with the LA Lakers (2-8) and defending national champs the Golden State Warriors both in the bottom four.
8. MLB World Series: Houston Astros + Dusty Baker win title
The Houston Astros were one win away from a World Series title last night after an edge-of-your-seat 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5. That victory sent the series back to Houston, and they only needed to win one of the two remaining games. They did it last night, bringing home a World Series title after a 4-1 win over the Phillies in Game 6. It’s their second title in six years.
Slugger Yordan Álvarez gets the credit for the win in Game 6, having fired off a three-run home run in the sixth inning when the Astros were down 1-0. There are lots of feel-good stories here. For instance, at age 39, Astros ace Justin Verlander finally got his first World Series win in Game 5. As the leader in hits, home runs and runs scored in the postseason, Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña, 25, was named World Series MVP. And Houston manager Dusty Baker, who at 73 is now the oldest World Series-winning GM, won the title for the first time in his illustrious career.
Phillies fans are understandably disappointed, but their team made a run far deeper into the season than anyone expected at the start. Joe Girardi was fired as General Manager and it appeared at one point that the season was lost. They gave it a good run. And the Eagles are on fire, so there’s that.
9. College football highlights: LSU upsets Alabama
Two top-10 team matchups went down in college football yesterday. Both in the SEC (of course).
No. 1 Tennessee visited No. 3 Georgia. The Bulldogs were favored by 8.5 going in and they delivered with a 27-13 win. They’re now almost guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoffs (barring an upset before the SEC Championship).
In another important matchup, No. 6 Alabama played No. 10 LSU. LSU, now helmed by former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, scored a major upset with a 32-31 overtime win. Alabama had been favored by 13.5 points, and instead suffered their second loss of the season.
10. The Match returns
For those who have been eagerly awaiting this news, this week came word that the next edition of “The Match” will feature Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. It all goes down on December 10th (not over Thanksgiving weekend, as has been the case in previous years). More time to watch football!
Weekly Top sports news headlines and major events to know: November 6, 2022
That’s our take on the big sports news headlines and major events, and a preview of the week ahead, including what to know about football, baseball and more. Have a great week, dear reader. See you next Sunday.
