MLB/NFL Open Thread
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- It’s been a pretty great postseason so far. On last night’s game, like Schoenfield I generally hate IWs and think they’re substantially overused, and particularly almost always hate IWs to load the bases, but given the unique context of last night’s game and the opportunity to get Chapman out of the game, I think Roberts made the right decision — it just didn’t work out. I also agree that Baker’s decision in Game 5 to take Scherzer out after Pederson homered on a good pitch was questionable but not a Grady Little-level obvious blunder. He’s right to note how important that Justin Turner AB was.
- Andrew Miller was an unusually consequential midseason pickup, and Tito has been using him masterfully. If he takes the Tribe to the World Series I think that ends any question of whether he’s a Hall of Fame manager.
- I’m curious about what office Curt Schilling is going to run for, exactly. Senate from Massachusetts or Rhode Island? Right. Is drivetime host of Boston’s most racist sports talk show an elected office? Does Trump have a yacht in international waters that needs a Grand Poobah? To be fair, he could probably be governor of Massachusetts if he got to run against Martha Coakley.
- The Dak Prescott question. You can’t argue with the results so far — you name the metric, he’s been one of the best in the league, although I do wonder how sustainable it is if he can’t show more ability to stretch the field. But I agree that I’d stick with him as long as he keeps playing well. (Also, it’s waaaaaay to early to reach any conclusions, but I wonder if Elway is second-guessing himself a little for trading up for Lynch right now. At least he didn’t trade 40 1st-rounders for a guy who can’t beat out Case Keenum for the starting job.)
- Speaking of ol’ 7-9 Fisher, he had a classic Thank You For Not Coaching 4th quarter last week. First, he kicked a field goal 4th-and-goal from the 5 with less than 7 minutes left that still left his team needing a touchdown to take the lead. And then, on the next drive he called for a fake punt from deep inside his own territory on 4th down. And not just a fake punt, but a fake punt so obviously telegraphed that the Bills defense clearly saw it coming and made appropriate adjustments before the play. Both decisions were terrible and worse collectively than either one was individually. And now the Bills need only beat the 49ers at home to be 4-2. I guess Greg Roman was the problem!
- And, yet, ol’ 7-9 can’t even win last week’s TYFNC title, which must go to Mr. Todd Bowles. The Jets have had a brutal schedule and it’s not Bowles’s fault that Fitzpatrick has predictably turned into an Ivy League pumpkin. But the defense has also regressed and that decision was so bad that even “you just have to put the points on the board” types weren’t defending it.