Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week 8 10/30/23

Nothing goes harder than a Sunday afternoon nap. However, if you slept on the yesterday’s early games you missed a fantastic NFL debut by Will Levis. Then again you also skipped out on Jordan Love struggling to move the ball down the field as well as the Battle of New York. Errrr, New Jersey. It’s a coin flip, I guess. The afternoon games offered their fair share of ups and downs as well, especially if you are a Chiefs fan. With that in mind, here are my picks for this week’s Monday Morning Monsters.

#1 Will Levis

With Ryan Tannehill out, yesterday’s matchup with the Falcons was a perfect opportunity to figure out what, if anything, the Titans had in Will Levis. The former Kentucky standout had yet to see the field in 2023 but he made his presence known in a big way in his debut. Levis through for 238 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 130.5 passer rating. Simply put, he was locked in and in tune with his receivers all game long. especially DeAndre Hopkins he caught four of his six targets for 128 yards and three touchdowns. Derrick Henry carried the rock 22 times for 101 yards and the Tennessee defense did enough to hold off Atlanta. Oh, and those Houston Oilers throwbacks looked great too.

#2 Gus Edwards

The casual fan may not realize, but Gus Edwards is fifth all-time Baltimore Ravens rushing list. For what it is worth, Lamar Jackson is actually third on that list, but who’s counting. Edwards was a stud with the ball yesterday. He had 80 yards on 19 touches, but it was his three touchdowns that stand out. The Ravens carried a 21-7 lead into the fourth quarter, where they added a Justin Tucker field goal, and Edwards third trip to the end zone, which was enough to hold off the Cardinals scoring surge in end the game.

#3 CeeDee Lamb

There were some questions marks for the Cowboys heading into yesterday’s game against the Rams. Mainly, which team was going to show up. For Dallas fans, they were happy to see the version of the team that features solid quarterback play and great defense. Dak Prescott threw for 300+ yards with four touchdowns, two of which were hauled in by CeeDee Lamb, who grabbed 12 of his 14 targets for 158 yards. A massive day for his career, and those of you who have him on your fantasy teams.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week 6 10/16/223

Typically, picking Monday Morning Monsters isn’t hard. The Sunday slate of NFL games plays itself out and there are more than a handful of candidates presented. I check the box scores, look at fantasy points, and compile the list as such. No, not very hard at all. However, this week was a little bit different as the usual suspects were anything but. The Niners and Eagles both fell in underwhelming performances. Quarterback play was, umm, questionable in many games. Finally, injuries played a role in key matchups as well. All of that aside, here are my picks for this week’s Monday Morning Monsters.

#1 Jared Goff

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Detroit Lions are 5-1 and are setting the pace in the NFC North. Yesterday, without both their leading rushers, quarterback Jared Goff took the reins and led Detroit to an impressive 20-6 win over the Bucs. He passed for 353 yards and two touchdowns, one to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the other to a returning Jameson Williams, as the Lions running game never got moving as David Montgomery when down early with an injury. Detroit’s defensive held Tampa to a couple of field goals, and the Lions added a couple of their own, and that was all that was needed. Now they’re heading to Baltimore next week for back-to-back road games before seeing the Raiders on Monday Night Football in week 8.

#2 Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins lead the league in scoring so far this season with 30 touchdowns. Those are equally down the middle at 15 rushing and passing. They also happen to lead the league in both of those categories as well. Yesterday’s 42-21 win over Carolina was a team effort led by the spectacular play of Tua Tagovailoa. He orchestrated the Miami offense with precision going 21 of 31 with 262 yards and three touchdowns. One each to Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert who also added two rushing scores of his own. Miami is now 5-1 on the season and they head into next week’s Sunday Night Football matchup with Philly in a game that could possibly be a Super Bowl preview. Keep your fingers crossed, Ace Ventura fans.

#3 Sam Howell

As I mentioned in the open, quarterback play was questionable yesterday. So, while Goff and Tua looked to be in complete control, there were other QBs that did not show that same poise. Guys like Geno Smith, PJ Walker, Gardner Minshew, Mac Jones, and Desmond Ridder did not pass the smell test. Interestingly enough, on the other side of the Ridder matchup was Sam Howell. The Commanders kicked a field goal in the first, going into the second down 7-3. While the former Tar Heel did not put-up gaudy stats, his 151 yards and three touchdowns in the second and third was more than enough to help lead the Commanders to a 24-16 win. Washington’s defense harassed Ridder all day long. They sacked him three times and forced three interceptions as well.

Loki Season 2 Episode 2 Easter Eggs

Much like last week’s episode one, episode two, “Breaking Brad”, was a wild ride from the beginning. With a run time of just over 50 minutes, there was plenty of time, and space, for Easter Eggs. From the subtle Star Wars reference as the show opens at a movie premier in 1977, the tip of the cap to “Breaking Bad” with the episode title, and the obvious callback to the first Avengers film, there was no shortage of Easter Eggs. So, with that in mind, here are three that you may have missed, and the comic books connected to them.

#1 Kingo

In a blink and you miss it nod to the Eternals, Kingo can be seen in a movie poster as Loki and Mobius make their way through London’s West End. Kingo, who was last seen leaving his post in the Eternals, explained way his immortality by convincing Bollywood that he was part of a family of identical actors who all made an impact in the industry. The Kingo seen on the poster is most likely the father figure in the timeline given that it was hanging in the late 70s. Kingo’s first appeared in comics in May of 1977 on the pages of Eternals #11. Druig also makes his first appearance in that book as well as the first team appearance of Delphan Brothers.

#2 Phone Ranger

Sticking with the movie poster references, right after Kingo’s poster, viewers will see one for The Phone Ranger. If you’re not up on your Marvel comic book history, this one may have gone right over your head. The character’s name is A.G. Bell, and he was a telephone repair man who used alien technology to give him access to all communication devices. Can we say NSA. The Phone Ranger hasn’t had a huge impact on the page. In fact, he’s has only appeared in comic books just three times in continuity. Once in 1985, some 20 years later in 2006, then once more in 2019.

#3 Zanic

Still in the first frames of the episode, we see a marquee featuring Brad Wolfe as Zaniac. Again, another obscure character from Marvel comics. He first appeared in 1982’s Thor #319. In early books, Zaniac, an entity sent by Dormammu, possessed Tom Malverne who then went on a murder spree that became known as the Whitechaple Murders. In the modern era, the entity possessed Brad Wolfe after a nuclear explosion while on the set of a film at the University of Chicago after a pyrotechnic malfunction. The radiation from the blast, paired with the entity, led to Wolfe being driven insane and acting out the plot of the slasher film in reality.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week 5 10/9/23

With marquee matchups and heated rivalries being renewed on Sunday, the NFL schedule delivered on its end. However, the play on the field didn’t always match that same enthusiasm as the schedule. Apparently New England forgot what an offense looks like, Denver is still abysmal, and someone better put a bubble around Danile Jones. Still, there were great options for this week’s Monday Morning Monsters. Let’s get started with Mr. Irrelevant and the Niners.

#1 Brock Purdy

Stop me if you have heard this one before, the Dallas Cowboys lose to the 49ers. If you are keeping track at home, that is now three in a row for the Niners when these two teams match up. In the bigger picture, San Francisco is now 5-0 on the season and look to be unstoppable. Brock Purdy was 17 of 24 passing yesterday with four touchdowns and a QBR of 83.6. Brock linked up with tight end, George Kittle, for three of those touchdowns, while fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in the fourth. Christian McCaffery and Jordan Mason each added a rushing touchdown and that was that. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott did them no favors either as he threw three interceptions on three straight possessions leading to a horrible offensive outing. So much for Dak being pissed off and motivated to face the Niners.

#2 Ja’Marr Chase

The Cincinnati Bengals got back on track yesterday with a 34-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Joe Burrow was slinging the ball all over the place, but his favorite target was Ja’Marr Chase. Before the game, Chase commented that he was always open, and he proved it. Ja’Marr caught 15 of his 19 targets for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Bengals fans could since the frustration from their star receiver as he wasn’t seeing a lot of looks during the first four games of the season, but that all changed with this dominant performance.

#3 Travis Etienne Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-0 this season in London. In fact, if you listen closely, you can hear a faint DUVAL COUNTY cheer from across the pond. In a close game against Buffalo, it was Travis Etienne Jr’s two fourth quarter touchdowns that sealed the win for the Jags. Travis carried the rock 26 times for 136 yards to help push Jacksonville’s record to a respectable 3-2 on the season. Clemson teammate, Trevor Lawrence did all that he could as well to help with 315 passing yards and a touchdown to Zay Jones.

Ouroboros, Broxton, and Other Loki Season 2 Easter Eggs

Fans of the MCU got their latest fix last night when the first episode of Loki season two dropped on Disney+. With that, there were plenty of Easter Eggs to be found. From the Marvel Studios to logo to the podcast that was Casey was listening to there was a little bit of something for everyone. However, there were three bigger clues that keened eyed viewers had to love. Obviously, spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen the episode yet, you may want to come back to this piece a little latter. However, for the rest of you, let’s get into it.

Ouroboros:

Those of you not clued into the myths and legends of the Norses people, the name Ouroboros is a huge name drop. This is a serpent that bites its own tail and symbolizes the circle of life. Ouroboros also happens to be one of Loki’s three children. Comic book wise, Mr. Ouroboros was a clone of Mr. Paradox, and much like Ravonna Renslayer, a judge for the TVA. He made his first appearance in She-Hulk #3 and was responsible for the trial of She-Hulk, but it’s a short-lived affair. Needless to say, there is still a lot of story left to be told in this season of Loki, so we will have to wait to see how this plays out. However, my guess is that it’s going to be closer to the former.

Broxton, Oklahoma

If you stuck around for the end credit scene you saw Sylvie walk through a portal and into Broxton, Oklahoma. In 1982 no less. She made her way to a McDonald’s of all places and decided she wanted to try everything. As fans of Thor will already know, Broxton is where the God of Thunder set up New Asgard in the comics. Clearly, this is another massive Easter Egg for fans of the series. Could we see Loki’s brother later this season?

The X-Men

The final Easter Egg on my list was more of the subtle type, but a fun one, nonetheless. As Loki, B-15, Mobius, and O.B. run toward the Temporal Loom the camera zoomed in and lingered on the “X” on the door. This looked a lot like the door to Cerebro and the “X” it bears. We all know the X-Men are on their way to the MCU, so this slight nod to the group was an unexpected bonus. It’s just a matter of time now before we see them onscreen together, hopefully in their classic blue and yellow suits.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week 4 10/2/2023

This weekend’s NFL games did not disappoint. There were close calls, comebacks, and of course, a few blowouts as well. Philly escaped the weekend barely hanging onto a 4-0 record, while the Niners left no doubt in their dominance. There was a beatdown in London as international play opened, and, just in case you missed it, the Broncos grabbed a win from the clutches of defeat. In other words, there were plenty of contenders for this week’s Monday Morning Monsters. Check out my picks below.

# 1Puka Nacua

If you haven’t heard by now, Puka Nacua is having a great rookie season. He has hauled in 39 catches for 501 yards through his first four games. Yesterday, he grabbed nine of his 10 targets for 163 yards and his first career touchdown. He has been Stafford’s go-to receiver while Kupp is on the injured reserve list for the Rams. Much in the same breath as Nacua, Kyren Williams also has Los Angeles fans excited as he his shinning in his sophomore season. He added 25 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams 29-23 over Indy.

#2 Khalil Mack

Franchise history was made yesterday when Khalil Mack recorded six sacks in the Chargers 24-17 win over the Raiders. Leslie O’neal previously held the team record with his five sacks against Dallas, way back in 1986. Rookie quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, had nowhere to run, or hide for that matter, as the Chargers defense feasted all day. By the final whistle they had a total of seven sacks and one interception.

#3 Christian McCaffery

As I mentioned above, the Niners left no doubt as their dominance in yesterday’s 35-16 win over Cardinals. While the Niners have no shortage of weapons at Brock Purdy’s disposal, it was Christian McCaffery who carried the load yesterday. He had 27 total touches, 106 yards rushing, another 71 receiving and four total touchdowns. Purdy rushed for another score, and that was all the Niners needed.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week Three 9/25/2023

In a week of football that saw its fair share blowouts and close games, the Sunday slate of NFL games did not disappoint on either account. From the Dolphins hanging 70 on the lowly Broncos or the Packers scoring 18 in the 4th quarter for the comeback win, the Red Zone channel was flipping between games faster than a Kardashian in a celebrity relationship. With that in mind, here are my Monday Morning Monsters for week three in the NFL.

#1 Raheem Mostert

Back in 1966, the then Washington Redskins hung 72 on the New York Giants in the confines of the District of Columbia Stadium. Yesterday the Dolphins came just short of breaking that record in a 70-20 drumming of the Broncos. In fact, the potential to break the record was there in the final minute of the game, but McDaniel had his team take a knee instead of attempting a field goal. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns, and rookie De’Von Achane ran for 203 yards and two scores as well. Both of those accomplishments great, but it was Mostert who stood out with 82 yards on 13 carries and another 60 receiving yards on seven receptions with a total of four touchdowns. Raheem is currently fifth in the league in rushing with 240 yards and first in scoring with seven touchdowns on the season.

#2 Justin Herbert

The Chargers finally got a win, albeit a close game in Minnesota. In a back-and-forth affair, Herbert connected on 40 of his 47 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns as Los Angeles finally put the Vikings to bed with a 28-24 victory. Justin’s favorite target on the day was Kennan Allen who hauled in 18 catches for 215 yards but did not find the endzone. With that being said, the Chargers running game left a lot to be desired as three carriers could only muster a total of 30 yards.

#3 Matt Gay

In a game that was a lot closer than it probably should have been, at least on paper, the Colts trotted out of Baltimore with a 22-19 win behind the leg of Matt Gay. In a slugfest that saw little offensive production from either team, all Gay did was nail all five of his field goals, including a 53-yard attempt to seal the win in overtime. It was an ugly win for Indy, but a win, nonetheless.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week Nine 11/7/22

Eight of the 11 NFL games played yesterday were one-score affairs. That doesn’t mean they were all pretty either. Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions in a loss to Detroit. Brady had to pull some magic out of his hat for a late touchdown to get a win over the Rams. Even the mighty Chiefs needed overtime to beat the Titans on Sunday Night Football. No, Week 9 was no walk in the park for many favorites. Still, some outstanding performances across the league were worthy of my Monday Morning Monsters picks.

#1 – Joe Mixon

It would be hard to top this list with anyone other than Joe Mixon this week. Mixon carried the ball 22 times for 153 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught another four passes for 58 yards and another touchdown. That’s five total touchdowns on the day in a 42-21 win over the Panthers. Things got so bad for Carolina that there was even a Baker Mayfield sighting. The Bengals head into their bye week with a statement win and in second place in the AFC North. However, that could change by tonight if the Saints can defeat the Ravens on Monday Night Football.

#2 – Tua Tagovailoa

I was mocked and ridiculed on Twitter before the season started because I said that I would take Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill over Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson. I didn’t retort, rather I stayed silent and decided to just wait and see how it plays out. Nine games into the season, Tua and Kirk are 13th and 14th in passing with Tua having played one less game than Cousins. However, he’s thrown for two more touchdowns and three fewer interceptions. It’s close, to say the least, but I still lean toward Tua. Yesterday, he threw for another 300 yards and three touchdowns in a close 35-32 win over Chicago bringing the Dolphins to 6-3 in a tight AFC East race.

#3 – Travis Etienne Jr.

In a game that was more than likely passed over by most of the viewing audience, the Jags downed the Raiders 27-20 at home. Travis Etienne Jr. was the workhorse we all assumed he would be after the James Robinson trade to the Jets. He carried the rock 28 times for 109 yards in two touchdowns in the win, but let’s be honest, you probably missed it if you don’t have Etienne on your fantasy team. Jacksonville is just 3-6 on the season and toward the bottom of the AFC South, ahead of only the Texans. However, that is a weak division, and nothing a winning streak couldn’t change.

Collecting The Houston Astros World Series No-Hitter

In case you missed it, for only the second time in World Series history, a no-hitter was thrown last night. The first one was Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956. This time around, four Astros pitchers combed on the effort. Once upon a time, I worked a combined no-hitter for the Seattle Mariners. That mid-season game failed in comparison to last night’s stage. Collecting the Houston Astros No-Hitter isn’t that difficult. Let’s look at some cards that will get the job done.

Cristian Javier

The Astros handed the ball to Cristian Javier to start last night’s Game Four. Javier, who posted an 11-9 record during the regular season, and a 2.54 era, was looking to right the ship after the Phillies crushed Lance McCullers in Game Three. Cristian delivered six innings of no-hit baseball with nine strikeouts in a tight game until the Astros bats woke up in the 5th. They scored five runs and that was more than enough for Houston’s pitching staff. Collectors will currently find 8,600 Cristian Javier cards listed on eBay, so there are plenty of options to add to their collection. The most expensive listed is his 2019 Bowman Chrome Superfractor with a $2,999 asking price. If you’re looking for an autographed card, his 2019 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Prospect Auto would be nice as well.

Bryan Abreu

Bryan Abreu recorded just two saves during the regular season in middle relief. His 88 strikeouts were tied for 138th in the league, but his 1.94 era means that he was effective at the very least. He took the mound in the 7th last night and struck out the side. Effective may be an understatement. Looking at the secondary market, Abreu has over 2,400 listings available. The most expensive of these is a PSA 10 2019 Bowman Chrome Orange Prospect Auto with an asking price of $1,995. However, patch collectors may want to look for his 2020 Panini Immaculate offerings that have huge pieces of memorabilia.

Rafael Montero

The Astros turned to veteran reliever Rafael Montero in the bottom of the eighth. He made quick work of Bohm striking him out then got Stott and Segura out on a fly to left and a line drive to right. Another quick 1-2-3, for Philadelphia, setting the stage for the ninth. Montero has bounced around the league for several years, so collecting him in an Astros uniform doesn’t seem likely. His most expensive card on the market is 2014 Classics Significant Signatures Silver with an asking price of $249.99, but that seems like a stretch.

Ryan Pressly

With history looming, Houston tapped Ryan Pressly to close the game. He made quick work of Marsh, striking him out swinging. Then, after walking Schwarber, Hoskins flew out to right, and Realmuto grounded out to third. The Astro tied the series at two a piece and the second no-hitter in World Series history was recorded. Collectors don’t have a ton of cards available for Pressly. While there are over 1,500 listed on eBay, the most expensive is a 2021 Topps Series 2 70th Anniversary 1/1 at just $250.

Monday Morning Monsters: NFL Week 8 10/31/22

Another weekend of NFL games has come and gone which means it’s time for my Monday Morning Monsters picks. There were plenty of one-score games this Sunday that resulted in interesting outcomes. Just look at the Falcons sneaking by the Panthers or the Dolphins huge comeback in Detroit. Even the Jaguars tried to make things intriguing in London. Then there is the surprising blowout in New Orleans as the Saints shut out the Raiders, and that’s where my first pick comes in. Let’s get started with Alvin Kamara.

#1 – Alvin Kamara

Things got so bad for the Raiders yesterday that there was a Jarrett Stidham sighting in the bayou. The Saints kept Vegas off the board, and it was Alvin Kamara’s show on the other side of the ball. Kamara carried the ball 18 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. He also caught nine passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 158 all-purpose yards on the day and three trips to paydirt. Wil Lutz added a field goal in the second and that was all she wrote for the Raiders. Kamara has always been a dual threat when healthy and he reminded the league of that with yesterday’s performance. Now, the NFC South looks anything but great this season as the Falcons find themselves on top with a 4-4 record, but the Saints are tied for second at 3-5 with the Bucs. New Orleans could easily find themselves in first with a game plan like yesterday’s, play great defense, and feed Kamara.

#2 – Derrick Henry

Malik Willis made his NFL debut yesterday in forgettable fashion as Ryan Tannehill didn’t even make the trip down to Houston for the Titans. That didn’t seem to matter though as Derrick Henry literally carried the load for Tennessee in their 17-10 win over the Texans. As we’ve seen many times before, King Henry put the team on his back the led the way. This time it was to the tune of 219 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. The Titans passing game was ineffective, but that did not matter as Henry exited the game as the league’s second-leading rusher, and with Tennessee firmly in control of the AFC South.

#3 – Tony Pollard

The Cowboys seem to be right back on track after losing to Eagles a couple of weeks ago. However, to be fair, their schedule has gifted them the Lions and Bears in back-to-back weeks. Dallas finds themselves tied for second in the NFC East with the Giants who dropped a game to Seattle yesterday. There may have been a bit of trepidation heading into yesterday’s match-up with the Bears as Zeke Elliot was out, but all Tony Pollard did in his fourth career start was score three touchdowns on 14 carries and 131 yards. In the end, Dallas walked away with a 20-point win and an owner who says that Zeke’s position on the team isn’t in question. Ok, Jerry. We hear you.