MitchyKnows Recaps Bills, Yankees and Gives Weekend Picks
Another Sunday, another Buffalo Bills slaughter. It was a rainy Sunday in Orchard Park that began with another illustrious tailgate in the grass lot. The early morning party was still as untamed as ever, just with more pop up tents. The rain wasn’t too much of a factor at the tailgate, just an annoying mist for the most part. As I was walking up to the stadium, a few Blue Light’s deep, someone called me a bitch for wearing a poncho. I said “well that is just not true” so I ripped it off and it immediately started raining in buckets. Drenched and rattled, I got to my seat in time with hopes of seeing the Bills continue the dominance they’ve displayed in the previous two games. The game started out sloppy as Josh Allen threw an interception that seemed to have slipped out of his hand, giving the Texans great starting field position. After a few plays, Houston elected to go for it on 4th and 5 from Buffalo’s 5 yard line instead of kick the field goal, only to get stuffed and give the Bills the ball back. Buffalo did not look back from there as they went to blow the doors off the feeble Houston Texans. The story of the game was yet again the Buffalo Bills’ stifling defense. Leslie Frazier’s defensive scheme mixed with the nasty elements was way too much for rookie Davis Mills to handle. The Bills went on to force 5 turnovers as they blew out the Texans 40-0. The Bills now join the company of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 1991 Washington Redskins as the only teams to have two shutouts in the first four games of the season. What do those two teams have in common? They both went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Inject that into my veins, please.
Following a day of rest on Monday, I was looking forward to watching the New York Yankees vanquish the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The $324 million dollar pitcher, Gerrit Cole, was taking the bump for the Yankees. Games like these are how you earn your pinstripes and money. I was confident that a dialed in Yankee offense along with the richest pitcher in baseball starting the game could get the job done. WRONG. Cole gave up a two run home run to Xander Bogaerts in the first inning and a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber before making it out of the third inning. That momentum was all the Red Sox needed as Nathan Eovaldi was mowing down the Yankee big bats. The Yankees showed some signs of life in the sixth inning until a horrible coaching decision to send Aaron Judge home from first on a deep drive off the wall by Stanton. Judge was thrown out by 15 feet and you could feel the momentum get sucked out of the Yankee dugout. The Red Sox went on to end the Yankee season with a 6-2 victory. I am also convinced that after the last regular season series when the Yankees came to Boston and Stanton hit two late game home runs, The Red Sox organization realized the stadium was too small to contain Giancarlo Stanton and raised the height of the Green Monster for this game. Stanton pimped the shit out of two balls that both went off of the wall in this game. When Stanton stands in the box because thinks he hit a home run, it is always a home run. Think about it. This loss is a sign for the Yankee front office to start over. Judge, Stanton, Cole and Lemahieu will be on the roster for the future, but everyone else’s future with the team needs to be acutely evaluated. This team is built on home run or strikeout baseball, and it is proven that this recipe does win in the postseason. The Yankees have the second highest payroll in baseball totaling almost $204 million, yet the Tampa Bay Rays, with the best record in the American League, has the 5th lowest payroll in baseball of almost $74 million. It is inexcusable for this Yankees team to continue not to win year after year only to run out the same home run or bust lineup. Major changes have to come this offseason and I believe it starts at the top with General Manager Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. The Yankees go from losing in the ALCS, to losing in the ALDS, to now losing in the Wild Card game. If they continue with this recipe of an unathletic home run or bust lineup, the next step is not making the playoffs. They lost to a Red Sox team who is in rebuild mode. The Sox are coming off a season in which they traded away one of the best players in baseball, Mookie Betts, and pitcher David Price in order to get under the luxury tax, and the Yankees still can’t beat them. It is embarrassing on so many levels.
Now that I got that off my chest, let’s get into the weekend. We are going to be treated to some great football games and hopefully winners on the book. Betting against Alabama and Ohio State last week has haunted me as I lay my head on the pillow each night since Saturday. I am going to shake off the struggle from last weekend and get back into the winners circle. First, we will start with the #PlayFromTheBoys, which is 1 College Football play and 1 NFL Play from a different friend of mine each week. This week is brought to you by @Nate_Paz.
Play From The Boys (5-1)
Alabama 1H -10.5
Packers-3
My Plays
College Football (17-18)
Ole Miss -6
Texas Oklahoma Over 63.5
Georgia Auburn Over 47
Iowa -1.5
Air Force -6
Ohio St -21
Alabama -18
NFL (11-7)
Buccaneers -10
Packers Bengals Over 51
Saints -2
Bills +3
See you at the bank. #MitchyKnows