BY JEFF YODER

SEPT. 26, 2023 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Travis Kelce's jersey sales rose more than 400% in 24 hours after the Taylor Swift game (that's what we're calling it, now). Seriously... 400%. Meanwhile, the Eagles have their own combo of Kelce-n-Swift, and it's working pretty well. Let's wrap up Week 3, shall we?

Letter Rip!

PICKS

The Sportsletter's NFL Pick 'Em

Congrats to the winner of our Week 3 NFL Pick ‘Em, Anthony Mardirosian! Anthony won out right (no tiebreaker) with 13/15 correct picks in Week 3. His only misses were the Ravens and Saints, who both lost tight ones (four total points away from a perfect weekend). Eight other players went 12/15, so we had to resort to the tiebreaker.

Week 3 Pick ‘Em Leaderboard

1. Anthony Mardirosian (13 Picks)

2. Terrance Walker (12 Picks)

3. Chad Neumann (12 Picks)

4. Cedric Rawls (12 Picks)

5. John Maynord (12 Picks)

Anthony, check your email later today to claim your prize. Everyone else, you’ve secured your spot in the playoffs. Didn’t win? Have another crack at it (below), then tell your friends and family to sign up for The Sportsletter so they can join the fun.

Play The Sportsletter’s NFL Pick ‘Em (Week 4)

*1st Place Gets $50 / Top-5 Enter Playoff Bracket

NFL

MNF: The Exclusive 3-0 Club

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Eagles (3-0) Join Dolphins (3-0) & 49ers (3-0) as NFL’s Last Unbeaten Teams; Bengals Get 1st Win in Field Goal Fiesta

Another Monday Night doubleheader kept the football going into the week as the Birds and Bengals came away victorious. Philly (3-0) joins the exclusive and ever-shrinking club of remaining unbeatens, and Cincy lifted a weight off their shoulders with their first win. While Monday night was a little gross — both weather and turnovers — two teams are still waking up today feeling better about their season. All four QBs combined for twice as many interceptions (6) as passing touchdowns (3) on MNF. It wasn’t pretty. Allow us to tell you about it anyway.

Eagles def. Buccaneers (25-11)

A clash of two undefeated teams confirmed one and left another wanting more. The Eagles and Bucs both entered Monday Night Football 2-0, and a 3-3 score after 20 minutes sure looked like a dogfight. Philly started flying, and a flurry of scores just before and after halftime made it 25-3 before the 4th quarter. Jalen Hurts (305 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) was efficient while RB D’Andre Swift (16 carries, 130 yards) had another huge night. The Birds have run for 557 yards through three games — 4th most by any team in the Super Bowl era.

Fun Fact: Jalen Hurts (29 TDs) passed Cam Newton (28 TDs) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 games. Hurts has only played 48.

Bengals def. Rams (19-16)

The Bengals-Rams rematch of Super Bowl LVI looked a lot like it did in 2022 — a 23-20 Rams win that featured a low-scoring 3-point win. But this one was the Bengals’ revenge, and a timely win for a struggling Cincinnati team. The Bengals looked more than sub-par through the first two weeks. This performance was anything but perfect, but a timely touchdown in the third quarter put the Bengals on top, 13-9. Cincy kicked two field goals to stretch it to 19-9 before the Rams scored late. For all the Bengals haters, Joe Burrow is 1-7 in games Weeks 1-3, and he’s 24-12-1 in all other games.

Fun Fact: WR Ja’Marr Chase (12 receptions, 141 yards) was two catches shy of the Monday Night Football game record (14).

Monday Night Football QB Comparisons

J. Hurts (PHI): 23/37, 305 total yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

B. Mayfield (TB): 15/25, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

J. Burrow (CIN): 26/49, 259 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

M. Stafford (LAR): 18/33, 269 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Monday Night Football Top Performers

WR J. Chase (CIN): 12 receptions, 141 yards

RB D. Swift (PHI): 17 touches, 138 yards

WR A. Brown (PHI): 9 receptions, 131 yards

RB J. Mixon (CIN): 19 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD

WR M. Evans (TB): 5 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

The 3-0 Club: It’s still anyone’s guess how the season will play out and who will get hot down the stretch, but these three squads have shown up ready in September. The Dolphins (+59) and 49ers (+48) have been putting teams to sleep early in games by embarrassing point spreads, but Philly (+25) still looks like they have another gear to go.

Week 4 Power Rankings coming tomorrow…

B/R: Joe Burrow’s Play Has Fans Concerned About Injury Despite Bengals’ Win

SI: Eagles Never Trail in Convincing Win vs. Bucs to Reach 3-0 Start

MLB

Votto's Standing 'O'

Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Reds’ 1B Joey Votto Gets Curtain Call in What Could’ve Been Final Game in Cincinnati

Nothing official has been announced regarding the future of Reds’ longtime 1B Joey Votto, but you can feel it. So could Reds fans. The 40-year-old got a standing ovation before his first at-bat on Monday in what was potentially his final home game. He got a curtain call in the 8th inning before knocking a single in a 4-2 win over the Pirates. While Votto isn’t sure what the future holds, the Reds finish the season on the road this week, and their playoff hopes have dwindled after a four-game skid.

Watch: Joey Votto Nearly Moved to Tears With Standing Ovation in Potential Last Game With Reds

MLB Quick-Hitters

Yankees Too Late: The Yankees won their home finale on Monday against the D-Backs (6-4), but New York has been officially eliminated from the postseason. Arizona is clinging to the NL’s last Wild Card spot. An ugly year for the pinstripes means no playoffs, and changes are coming.

Rangers Rolling to AL West Crown: Make it seven straight for the red-hot Rangers! Texas has been up-and-down (to say the least) throughout the season, but they’re “up” at just the right time. A 5-1 win against the Angels marked their seventh straight, and they now hold a 2.5-game lead in the division.

JV, Astros Separate From Seattle: The biggest series of the week will feature Houston as the Astros have a six-game road trip against fellow Wild Card hopefuls, Seattle and Arizona. The ‘Stros won game 1 of their Seattle series on Monday (5-1) to put the Mariners in desperation mode. The next two games (today and tomorrow) could be lethal for Seattle’s playoff hopes.

NBA

It's About Dame Time

Photo: Alika Jenner / Getty Images

Standoff Between Blazers & Heat Has Gone Cold, But A New Team Emerges…

Sorry if we hooked you with the headline. No, it’s not “time” yet for Damian Lillard trade. It’s overdue, certainly. But it hasn’t happened. What has happened is an influx of reports as NBA beat writers and insiders return to their posts for training camps and preseason basketball. We’ve read a lot of rumors, but the Heat and Blazers haven’t spoken about a trade package involving Damian Lillard in quite some time. If you recall, the Portland superstar requested a trade, specifically to the Heat, back in June. Instead, a new team has emerged as the favorite to land Dame.

The Raptors Are All-In

Multiple reports over the past 48 hours say Toronto is actively working to complete a trade for Lillard. The Raptors coveted Lillard in the 2012 NBA Draft. Portland selected him No. 6 overall. Toronto settled for Terrence Ross with the No. 8 pick. It’s safe to say those two picks in-between have haunted the Raptors over the years, aside from one Finals run with Kawhi Leonard and company. All the rumors and NBA insiders we’ve read discuss options for the 76ers, Spurs, and even the Knicks, but Toronto appears to be the only team willing to offer a sweet deal.

The Raptors’ only two point guards on the roster are Dennis Schroder and Malachi Flynn. They’re deep in the front-court — like Grand Canyon deep — with six, even seven talented forwards. If Toronto could part ways with two talented stars, and probably 4-5 years of draft picks, Canadian Dame could be inevitable.

Pony up, Miami. The Dame-Trade monopoly is over, and the season starts in three weeks.

Yahoo! Sports: Why the Raptors Should — or Shouldn’t — Trade for Damian Lillard

STORYLINES

⚽️ Megan Rapinoe’s Top-10 Moments

Megan Rapinoe played her last match with the U.S. Women’s National Team on Sunday. She leaves behind a legacy filled with unforgettable goals, quotes, hair colors, poses, and accomplishments. Here are the highlights that defined a storied career. (CBS Sports)

🏈 Which Teams Can Win SBLVIII?

Yes, we’re only three weeks into the season. A lot can—and will—change over the next few months. But at this point, do any teams have a better shot than the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs? And what are the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars doing? (The Ringer)

⚾️ MLB Playoffs Guide

It's all come down to one last week. The end of Major League Baseball's 2023 regular season arrives this Sunday, and then it will be on to the postseason. Here is everything you need to know, plus a few things you perhaps didn't realize you wanted to know. (Bleacher Report)

NEWS 📰