| | | | | | | Presented By Vuori | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Sep 13, 2021 | | 👋 Good morning! Let's have a week. 🏈 Monday Night Football: The action continues tonight with Ravens at Raiders (8:15pm, ESPN). Peyton and Eli Manning will host an alternative ESPN broadcast on ESPN2. Today's word count: 1,696 words (6 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏈 One Sunday down, 17 to go |  | | | Cooper Kupp (L) celebrates a TD with Van Jefferson. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images | | | | For the past three decades, NFL fans have been treated to 17 Sundays of regular-season action. With the expanded schedule, that number is now 18. - Rams 34, Bears 14: Matthew Stafford came out firing in his Hollywood debut, leading the Rams to victory in their first game with fans at the immaculate Sofi Stadium.
- Saints 38, Packers 3: Jameis Winston (5 TD) and the hurricane-displaced Saints looked right at home in Jacksonville, handing the Packers their worst loss in a game started by Aaron Rodgers (2 INT).
- Steelers 23, Bills 16: Ben Roethlisberger began what could be his final season by leading his 36th career fourth-quarter comeback, tying Drew Brees for third on the all-time list. Never sleep on Pittsburgh.
- Bengals 27, Vikings 24 (OT): The Bengals have somehow never scored an offensive TD in overtime. Good thing they didn't need one Sunday, thanks to rookie kicker Evan McPherson nailing the game-winner.
- 49ers 41, Lions 33: San Francisco led 31-10 at halftime, but Detroit didn't go away, mounting an incredible comeback (23 points in three-plus minutes) that fell just short.
- Seahawks 28, Colts 16: Russell Wilson (4 TD) picked apart a top-10 Colts defense and made the most gorgeous pass of the day. Perfection.
- Dolphins 17, Patriots 16: Tua Tagovailoa won the battle of Saban's signal-callers, spoiling Mac Jones' impressive debut. Rookie QBs had been 6-0 under Bill Belichick in their first career starts.
 Is Patrick Mahomes a superhero? Looks like one here. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images - Chiefs 33, Browns 29: Patrick Mahomes is a cheat code. Proof: He's now 11-o in September with 35 pass TD and zero interceptions (?!?!). Also, this throw should not be possible.
- Texans 37, Jaguars 21: This is new territory for Trevor Lawrence, who never lost a regular-season game in high school or college. Of note: The last 14 QBs drafted No. 1 overall have all lost their first career starts.
- Eagles 32, Falcons 6: The start of a new era couldn't have gone much better for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles — or much worse for Arthur Smith and the Falcons.
- Panthers 19, Jets 14: Christian McCaffrey notched his seventh game with 75 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving, passing Walter Payton for third-most since the merger. Only Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes have more.
- Cardinals 38, Titans 13: Kyler Murray scored five TD, Chandler Jones had a career-high five sacks and Arizona simply embarrassed Tennessee.
- Broncos 27, Giants 13: For the first time since Peyton Manning retired, the Broncos may have a QB in Teddy Bridgewater. All it took was 11 tries.
- Chargers 20, Washington 16: The Chargers went an incredible 14 of 19 on third down and Terry McLaurin made the catch of the weekend, but otherwise this game was pretty gross ... just like this video.
|     | | | | | | 2. 🎾 U.S. Open: Medvedev, Raducanu reign | | Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Daniil Medvedev stunned Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday to win the U.S. Open and deny one of tennis' all-time greats the Calendar Slam. By the numbers: This is the first major title for Medvedev, 25, and keeps Djokovic, 34, tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20. - Thrill of victory: Medvedev, an avid video game player, capped his victory with a hilarious FIFA celebration ("L2 + Left").
- Agony of defeat: I've never seen Djokovic this emotional. You can feel the heartbreak — yet you can also see the pressure being lifted.
Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images Emma Raducanu completed her historic run by beating fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-3, to win her first Grand Slam title. By the numbers: Raducanu, 18, is the youngest major champion since 17-year-old Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004. She didn't drop a set all tournament after entering the draw as a qualifier. - What a ride: "So are A Levels happening?" Raducanu tweeted in January (similar to AP exams). A lot can change in nine months.
- Wild stat: There have been 14 different major champions in women's tennis since 2016, compared to just six in men's tennis.
Plus ... Wheelchair tennis stars Dylan Alcott and Diede de Groot clinched Golden Slams (all four majors in 2021 plus Paralympic gold). Unreal. Go deeper: At the U.S. Open, the weight of history was no match for pure joy (The Ringer) | | | | | | | | 3. 🏈 AP poll: Oregon, Iowa enter top 5 |  Data: AP; Table: Axios Visuals Oregon and Iowa shot up this week's rankings following impressive wins over Ohio State and Iowa State, respectively. The Ducks jumped from No. 12 to No. 4, while the Hawkeyes went from No. 10 to No. 5. - Moving in: No. 20 Arkansas, coming off a decisive win over Texas, is ranked for the first time in five years. No. 23 BYU and No. 25 Michigan also joined the party.
- Moving out: USC dropped out after a 42-28 loss to Stanford, while Texas and Utah are also gone.
Week 2 highlights: - Eight lives left: In one of the wildest videos you'll ever see, fans used an American flag as a makeshift net to catch a cat that fell from the upper deck at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Hail Mary: Jacksonville State stunned Florida State with a last-second TD, handing the Seminoles their first-ever loss to an FCS program and producing an iconic GIF.
📆 Coming up ... Saturday features three ranked-on-ranked matchups: No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida, No. 19 Arizona State at No. 23 BYU and No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State. Go deeper: Stats of the week (The Athletic) | | | | | | | | A message from Vuori | | Your one short for every sport | | |  | | | | The Kore Shorts from Vuori are the most versatile shorts out there and are the only shorts you'll ever need. They are designed with a classic athletic fit, falling just above the knee, with a built liner so you can go commando with confidence. Get 20% off your first purchase. | | | | | | 4. ⚾️ Pitching history: No-hitters, Ks and plunks |  | | | Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader celebrating their no-hitter. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images | | | | This weekend was full of MLB pitching history, starting with yet another no-hitter and ending with — whoa, look out, ball coming at your head!!! - The year of the no-hitter: Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combined to pitch MLB's record ninth no-hitter this season, breaking a mark set when pitchers began throwing overhand in 1884.
- 3,000 strikeouts: Max Scherzer became the 19th member of the 3,000-strikeout club on Sunday. He also notched his record third immaculate inning and nearly tossed a perfect game because of course he did.
- Plunk machine: Padres reliever Austin Adams hit his 23rd batter on Sunday, matching the Live Ball Era record set by Howard Ehmke in 1922. Ehmke threw 279.2 innings. Adams has thrown 48.2. Go deeper.
| | | | | | | | 5. ⚾️ Subway Series: Mets take two | | Francisco Lindor is so hyped it's making me hyped. Source: Giphy The Yankees and Mets went head-to-head in the incomparable Subway Series this weekend, with the Mets playing the roll of spoiler. - Friday: The Mets cruised in the opener, 10-3, handing the Yankees their season-high seventh straight loss.
- Saturday: The rivals united for an emotional pregame ceremony on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The Yankees then prevailed on the field, 8-7, to snap their losing streak.
- Sunday: Francisco Lindor hit three HRs to lift the Mets to a 7-6 victory in a drama-filled finale that saw both benches clear.
The big picture: The Yankees (79-64) now trail the Red Sox (81-64) and Blue Jays (80-63) by a game in the AL Wild Card race. The Mets (72-72) are playoff longshots (6.7% chance), but you better believe their players and fans take pride in hurting the Yankees' chances. | | | | | | | | 6. 🌍 The world in photos | | Photo: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy and Air Force met on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, with the visiting Falcons winning 23-3. But football was just part of the story. Photo: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images MANCHESTER, England — Cristiano Ronaldo starred in his Manchester United return, scoring two goals in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United and restoring a sense of confidence to a club accustomed to sure things. Photo: Peter Van Egmond/Getty Images MONZA, Italy — Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) won a dramatic Italian Grand Prix that saw Max Verstappen (Red Bull) crash into title rival Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), riding over and into his head. Photo: Romina Amato/Red Bull via Getty Images DOWNPATRICK HEAD, Ireland — The fourth stop in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series took divers to the Irish coast, where they launched themselves off rocks overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. | | | | | | | | 7. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Evander Holyfield hitting the deck. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images | | | | 🥊 Boxing madness: Celebrity boxing matches have taken combat sports by storm. But Saturday's spectacle took a dangerous turn, as it was clear 58-year-old Evander Holyfield should not have been in the ring. 🏈 History made: Maia Chaka on Sunday became the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game, working as a line judge in Charlotte. ⚾️ Bauer update: Trevor Bauer's season is over, with MLB extending his administrative leave through the playoffs as it investigates sexual assault allegations. The Dodgers paid him $38 million for 17 starts. 🏒 Countdown to hockey: The Seattle Kraken opened their $80 million training facility to the public over the weekend as the team prepares for its debut season (opening game: Oct. 23 vs. Canucks). ⚾️ Classic O's: The Orioles were three outs away from a no-hitter against the Blue Jays — and lost 11-2. They then proceeded to allow 44 runs in three games. Very on brand for a team that's horrible on purpose. | | | | | | | | 8. 📆 Sept. 13, 1992: No punts | | Jim Kelly evading the pressure. Photo: David Madison/Getty Images 29 years ago today, the Bills beat the 49ers, 34-31, at Candlestick Park in the first NFL game not to feature a single punt by either team. By the numbers: The Bills and 49ers combined for 1,086 total yards of offense, with Jim Kelly and Steve Young both passing for over 400 yards. "You just do your normal routine, get ready, get ready, get ready, and hope they make a first down. Eventually, you just look at the clock and say, 'I guess I'm not going to punt today.'" — Bills punter Chris MohrThe big picture: There have since been three more no-punt NFL games. Surprisingly, only one of them was a close contest. 🎥 Watch: Game highlights (YouTube) | | | | | | | | 9. 🏟 Stadium trivia |  | | | Michigan fans packed The Big House for Saturday night's win over Washington. Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images | | | | Michigan Stadium (aka "The Big House") is America's largest college football stadium with a capacity of 107,601. - Question: What's the second largest?
- Hint: Michigan plays there this season.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🐶 1 cute thing: Dogs surfing |  | | | Good boys/girls. Photo: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images | | | | The 16th Annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon took place Sunday in Del Mar, California (near San Diego). - "Judges scored the dogs on a number of criteria, including the length of their ride, size of the wave, whether they stood on all four legs ... and their smile," per the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- The event raised $14,000 for the Helen Woodward Animal Center, a no-kill animal rescue, and drew hundreds of spectators.
The winner: Petey, a West Highland white terrier, was crowned champion. This was Petey's first Surf-a-Thon, but he's been surfing since he was eight months old. Folks, we may have a prodigy on our hands. More photos. | | | | | | | | A message from Vuori | | Your one short for every sport | | |  | | | | The Kore Shorts from Vuori are the most versatile shorts out there and are the only shorts you'll ever need. They are designed with a classic athletic fit, falling just above the knee, with a built liner so you can go commando with confidence. Get 20% off your first purchase. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "NFL RedZone addict" Baker Trivia answer: Penn State's Beaver Stadium (106,572 capacity) 🙏 Thanks for reading. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: @thekendallbaker. |  | | It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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