Congratulations, everyone! You've made it to Friday. Give yourself a pat on the back -- especially if you somehow started the Dolphins D/ST on your fantasy team -- and get ready for a huge weekend of sports ahead.
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Let's take a look at the biggest storylines right now.
Good morning to everyone but especially to...
ODELL BECKHAM JR. AND THE LOS ANGELES RAMS
Out in Los Angeles, the rich got richer as the Rams added Odell Beckham Jr. to what is an absolutely loaded roster. It's the latest move to signal they are championship-or-bust, according to our NFL expert Bryan DeArdo:
DeArdo: "Beckham is joining a Rams team that is going all-in on this season. The Rams, who are currently 7-2 and one game back of the Cardinals for the AFC West division lead, recently traded to acquire future Hall of Fame pass rusher Von Miller. Miller will make his Los Angeles debut on Sunday while joining a defense that includes three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey."Everyone on Twitter -- LeBron James included -- weighed in when news broke, but now the question is how it all comes together. The Rams' offense is averaging 29 points per game this season -- third in the NFL -- and Matthew Stafford has developed a strong relationship with Cooper Kupp. How strong? Kupp is the first player with 1,000+ receiving yards and 10+ receiving touchdowns through nine games since Jerry Rice in 1990.
The Rams also have a more-than-capable No. 2 wide receiver in Robert Woods and a running back who ranks top-10 league-wide in touches in Darrell Henderson Jr.
Here's DeArdo on how OBJ will fit into the Rams offense:
DeArdo: "The best-case scenario for Los Angeles is that Beckham can do for them what Antonio Brown did for the Buccaneers during his first season in Tampa Bay. Brown not only complemented the Buccaneers' receiving corps during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl run, he also served as Tom Brady's primary option on several occasions. Brown capped off his first season with the Buccaneers with a touchdown catch in Super Bowl LV."Honorable mention
File this in the "you have to see it to believe it" category. UC Riverside's JP Moorman II nailed a 70-foot buzzer beater to stun Arizona State late last night. It was the first time the Highlanders have ever beaten the Sun Devils. And no, I cannot explain why Arizona State tried to steal the inbounds pass. Just enjoy the video.And not such a good morning for...
THE BALTIMORE RAVENS -- AND EVERYONE WHO STAYED UP TO WATCH THEM LOSE
Thursday night's contest between the Ravens and Dolphins -- eventually won by Miami 22-10 -- was one of the strangest games I've seen in a while. I guess that makes it a perfect Thursday night game: one we all regret staying up for (and this particular one lasted FOREVER).
Here are some "highlights":
This was the fifth game this season in which neither team scored a touchdown in the first half.Jacoby Brissett started the game for Miami as Tua Tagovailoa continues to deal with a fractured finger. Brissett appeared to get injured in the third quarter but then looked like he was actually ready to re-enter the game. Instead, Miami head coach Brian Flores inserted Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa wasn't healthy enough to start, but a few hours later he was healthy enough to play. I'm still confused.The undeniable big highlight of this game was Dolphins offensive lineman Robert Hunt catching a screen pass, making a defender miss and diving toward the end zone. The only problem? He wasn't an eligible receiver. A play that did not count (and resulted in a penalty) was far and away the most memorable part of the game, which should tell you about how this game went.I'll certainly give credit where credit is due: The Dolphins' defense stepped up in a major way, playing up to its preseason expectations. Tagovailoa played well, despite his mysterious injury. In a span of five days, Miami has gone from 1-7 to 3-7.
But make no mistake, this was a missed opportunity for the Ravens, who were coming off an impressive comeback this past weekend against Minnesota. Does anyone want the No. 1 seed in the AFC?
