The Eagles might need to start making changes, plus the latest on Steelers-Ravens
The Eagles missed out on a chance to move into sole possession of first place in a putrid NFC East
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8 min read
Welcome to December! Only one month left in this god forsaken year! That's something I think we can all rally around.
The week got off to a great start for me yesterday when an all-day rainstorm led to the ceiling in my home office cracking and springing a leak, so I'm writing today's newsletter to you from the comfort of my living room ... where I've also been sleeping for the past week after a COVID-19 exposure. So, yeah, we're finishing the year off strong! (In all seriousness, things could certainly be worse, so for that I'm thankful.)
Leaky ceilings aside, it's only Tuesday but this week is already proving to be an interesting one in the sports world. We've got bad beats, relentless postponements, deadlines and big games already. We'll get into all that this morning, but what do you say we bring back the Wednesday mailbag tomorrow? I miss answering your weekly submissions, so feel free to shoot me a question on whatever you want (sports, movies/TV, video games, random nonsense, etc.) and I'll answer the best ones tomorrow. Find me at pete.blackburn@cbsinteractive.com or on Twitter.
And since Dec. 1 is the most accepted opening of Christmas season, normally I'd shout out a joyous "LET IT SNOW!" to celebrate. But, uh, is it cool if I fix my roof first?
📰 What you need to know
1. Seahawks cruise past Eagles, but not without brutal bad beat 🏈
For many, last night brought a painful reminder that gambling on sports can be a cruel, cruel beast. The Seahawks beat the Eagles in a feathery Monday Night Football matchup, which shouldn't really surprise anyone who's been paying attention this year. However, Philadelphia managed to cover the spread (+6.5) thanks to a Hail Mary garbage time touchdown and an ensuing two-point conversion that cut Seattle's lead to 23-17.
Seattle was 12 seconds away from covering. It was the kind of bad beat that makes a loser wonder what they did to deserve such a dagger to the heart and question why they bother gambling in the first place. If you happened to be victimized by last night's backdoor cover, I'm sorry. I'll just pray that you weren't the bettor who put up $500,000 on the Seahawks ATS.
As for the game itself, here are some notes:
- Seattle's offense was largely kept in check but D.K. Metcalf went off for 10 catches and 177 yards receiving
- The Seahawks defense came into the night allowing the most yards per game, but they did a great job taking advantage of Philly up front and keeping Carson Wentz pressured
- The Eagles' offense was a mess outside of a few no-huddle spurts and only accounted for 250 total yards
- Miles Sanders only had eight touches (six rushes, two catches) for a combined total of 22 yards
Unfortunately for the Eagles, they missed out on a chance to move into sole possession of first place in a putrid NFC East. The good news is that they managed to reward any backers who were were bold enough to have faith in them (with the help of the spread) last night. It's important to remember that with any bad beat, there are winners on the other side who stumbled backwards into a win and went to bed feeling like a million bucks.
2. What's going on with Steelers-Ravens? 🏈
In what is turning out to be quite a headache for the NFL, the Steelers-Ravens saga got yet another chapter yesterday. As it turns out, the AFC North showdown will not be happening tonight. The game has been postponed for a THIRD time.
- The game was originated slated to be played Thanksgiving night, has now been moved to Wednesday afternoon (3:40 p.m.)
- The matchup was previously pushed from Thursday to Sunday, then Sunday to Tuesday
- Both teams are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, though the Ravens are being hit more severely. Baltimore has had over 20 players placed on the reserve/COVID list, including Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews, Matt Judon, and Calais Campbell
- As a result of the third postponement, the Steelers' game against Washington next weekend has been moved from Sunday to Monday (the Ravens will also play that Monday night)
The league clearly wants this game to happen, and they're doing whatever they can to will it into existence but, man, what a nightmare. Not only has the entire process been a total mess, but now you've also got one of the season's marquee games -- the Thanksgiving headliner between two good teams -- happening in the middle of a random Wednesday almost an entire week later.
And that's if everything goes right!
Between this debacle and the Broncos having to look for a quarterback on Craigslist this weekend, there's no question the NFL season has hit a new low. The only question now is ... can it go lower?
3. Previewing Champions League matchday 5 ⚽
We may not have football today but we do have futbol. Champions League is back on the menu with the start of matchday 5, and the penultimate round of the group stage brings some high stakes and juicy storylines. Let's dive into what we can look forward to:
- Inter Milan seeking must-have win in Germany: The Italian club desperately needed a win last week against Real Madrid and they came up empty with a dud. If they don't deliver a win today against Borussia Monchengladbach, then they can kiss Europa League goodbye. When Europa League is your best case outcome, you know it's been a disastrous campaign
- Liverpool in tricky Ajax clash after loss to Atalanta: Liverpool's loss to Atalanta last week effectively opened up Group D. Ajax are just two points behind Liverpool and the two clubs will meet on Tuesday. If Jurgen Klopp's squad doesn't rebound, they could find themselves in third place by the end of the day (Atalanta is also just two points behind)
- Atletico Madrid seeking a win over Bayern Munich: Needing a win against Bayern is a very tough spot to be in, but the good news for Atletico is that the German club has already advanced through and they could be resting some key players today. The bad news? Even if some starters sit, Bayern still has the depth of a pure powerhouse
As always, you can stream each and every game on CBS All-Access, so don't be the fool who misses out. If you're looking for expert picks from our expert team, then you're going to want to head right here.
4. Biggest decision facing each MLB team at the non-tender deadline ⚾
The deadline for MLB teams to tender their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract offer for next season is tomorrow. In the simplest of terms, the players that don't receive a contract offer (or tender) from their team by the deadline will then officially join the free agent pool.
The number of non-tendered players has been rising over the past few years and it sounds like it's expected to rise again in 2020, thanks in part to the pandemic and its financial consequences on the league. That seems to be a big reason why free agency is moving as slowly as it is right now.
Our Mike Axisa has taken a look at every team in MLB and identified the biggest non-tender decision they'll have to make. Here are some of the most notable:
- Kris Bryant, Cubs: Bryant's ability and resume make him a very strange non-tender candidate, but he had a brutal 2020 season while playing hurt. If the Cubs are unable to find a palatable trade for Bryant, they may just choose to cut him loose. Axisa says it's more likely they keep him and try to wait until he rebuilds his trade value before dealing him
- Gary Sanchez, Yankees: Sanchez was horrible in 2020 and, as a result, his future in New York is in doubt. But the Yankees don't have much depth at catcher and Sanchez is only a year removed from being an All-Star. Axisa says they keep him
- Eddie Rosario, Twins: Rosario is a pretty one-dimensional player, but his power numbers (96 home runs over the last four seasons) may command more than the Twins are willing to pay. Minnesota has top prospect Alex Kirilloff waiting in the wings, so Axisa thinks they'll let Rosario walk and tab Kirilloff to take his place
You can find the full list here. I know the MLB non-tender deadline may not be the sexiest storyline right now, but the repercussions of what teams do may lead to the most exciting moments in free agency.
📝 Odds & Ends
- Texans receiver Will Fuller was suspended six games for a PED violation and he offered an explanation on Twitter
- The NFL has announced a Week 16 tripleheader for the Saturday after Christmas
- The 49ers will play December home games in the Cardinals' stadium as Santa Clara County has halted all sports activities
📺 What to watch today
⚽ Liverpool vs. Ajax, 3:00 p.m. | TV: CBS All-Access
🏀 No. 8 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Duke, 7:30 p.m. | DUKE -4 | TV: ESPN
🏀 No. 20 Kentucky vs. No. 7 Kansas, 9:30 p.m. | KAN -4.5 | TV: ESPN
📝 Top scores from last night
D.K. Metcalf caught 10 passes for 177 yards as Seattle cruised to victory.
💵 Winning wagers: PHI +6.5, Under (49.5)
🏀 No. 17 Texas 78, Davidson 76
Courtney Ramey hit the go-ahead driving score with 20 seconds left to survive the Maui Invitational opener
💵 Winning wagers: DAVID +7.5, Over (141.5)
🏀 No. 14 North Carolina 78, UNLV 51
UNC bounced back from an early double-digit deficit to earn a decisive win in their Maui Invitational opener.
💵 Winning wagers: UNC -13.5, Under (157.5)
