Mickey Togs

Most NFL players have short careers. They only have a few seasons to prove they can be difference makers at their positions, or their teams and then the rest of the league moves on fast.

It’s a stressful world, and each season just about every player needs to prove his worth all over again. But to some players, there is extra pressure to perform this season to establish themselves as impact players or earn a big new contract.

Justin Fields got another chance to start from the Jets, who were a bit desperate after moving on from Aaron Rodgers. Fields got a two-year, $40 million deal, which would either be easy for the Jets to move on from after one season or for Fields to seek a long-term extension if he plays well. 

The Jets still have plenty of talent and there’s no real competition for Fields on the roster. He should get the season to prove what he can do. However, a poor preseason passing the ball didn’t inspire much confidence heading into the season. This might be Fields’ last good chance to establish himself as a regular starter in the NFL.

The Jaxson Dart era in New York got off to a winning start, as the Giants upset the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers 21-18 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Dart was efficient, but somewhat limited by a left hamstring injury he suffered in the first half. Dart got his NFL starting QB career off to a good start with a 15-yard touchdown run on his first drive. The Giants went up-tempo in the Ole Miss product’s first game.  

Dart was efficient in the first half in leading the Giants to a 13-10 halftime lead (7 of 11 for 59 yards; six carries for 44 yards and a TD), but the rookie began grabbing his left hamstring to stretch it out late in the first half and was noticeably limping on the last drive before halftime as the Chargers have turned up the pressure.

Rookie Cam Skattebo ran for 79 yards on 25 carries as the Giants rushed for 161 yards on the afternoon.

For Los Angeles, Justin Herbert threw two crucial interceptions that put the Giants in good field position. He finished 23 of 41 for 203 yards passing. Dart only threw for 111, but added 54 yards on the ground with a passing and rushing touchdown.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, 22-9. Though both teams entered the contest in search of their first win, New York’s up-and-comers were no match for Kansas City’s veteran leadership during the primetime matchup.

Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 22 of his 37 pass attempts for 224 yards and a touchdown against the Giants’ secondary.

The Giants’ fanbase was clearly frustrated during their home opener, as Russell Wilson threw two interceptions and was held to just 160 passing yards. 

Standout linebacker Nick Bolton was among Kansas City’s top defensive performers, with 14 combined tackles in the game.

Kraft Heinz has introduced Not Hot Dogs and Not Sausages, marking the first plant-based offerings from Oscar Mayer. These new products aim to cater to the growing demand for flavorful plant-based foods in the United States.

The plant-based market in the United States is predicted to surge from $8.3 billion in 2023 to $19 billion by 2030. Despite this growth, plant-based hot dogs and sausages remain relatively untapped due to dissatisfaction with existing options’ taste and texture. In response, Kraft Heinz has launched new Oscar Mayer Not Hot Dogs and Not Sausages, available in Bratwurst and Italian sausage flavors, to fill this gap in the market.

The introduction of Oscar Mayer Not Hot Dogs and Not Sausages represents the Kraft Heinz’s dedication to swiftly bringing innovative plant-based products to market. This launch adds to their expanding plant-based portfolio, which includes Kraft Not Mac&Cheese, Kraft Not Cheese Slices, and Not Mayo. Looking ahead, The Kraft Heinz Not Company plans to enter additional categories and expand internationally.

On a brutally hot and humid late summer afternoon in Tampa, Florida, the New York Jets lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 29 – 27.

The Jets mounted an incredible comeback on Sunday, as they overturned a 17-point fourth quarter lead in dramatic fashion to go ahead by one with two minutes to go, only to then give up a late field goal to lose in heartbreaking fashion, 29-27.

For much of the game, it never really looked like being anything other than a comfortable Bucs win, but the Jets scored two late touchdowns to make it a one-possession game and then Will McDonald’s incredible field goal block and touchdown return suddenly had the Jets on top.

Taylor, starting for the injured Justin Fields, completed his first pass of the second quarter, at which stage he was 7-for-8 for 55 yards, and Nick Folk’s field goal capped his second successful drive to start the game to make it 6-3 Jets. Over the remainder of the half, Taylor got absolutely nothing going, as he completed three of eight passes for zero yards with the pick-six and was sacked twice, losing a fumble. He padded his stats on the two late drive to end up with almost 200 passing yards.

After a lengthy standoff, the New York Mets re-signed Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million contract over the offseason. While the deal kept the slugger in Queens for 2025, it also includes an opt out for the second year. And, barring an unforeseen disaster, Alonso will almost certainly re-enter free agency at the end of the season.

The Mets could work out a new contract with the five-time All-Star. But Alonso will have other suitors interested in a power-hitting corner infielder. It’s unclear if either side will prioritize the other in free agency. And Alonso reflected that uncertainty when discussing his future with the team.

“We’ll see what happens. I love it, it’s great. But you can’t really predict anything,” Alonso said, per New York Post Sports. “It’d be great to stay… whatever happens happens.”

Barry Bonds is at peace with his MLB legacy. The longtime Giants slugger and the league’s all-time home run leader no longer is eligible to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after falling short of the required vote threshold for 10 consecutive years from 2013-2022.

However, Bonds is the newest member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame after he, former manager Jim Leyland and catcher Manny Sanguillen were enshrined in a ceremony at PNC Park.

In speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Bonds admitted he finally is at peace with his Baseball Hall of Fame fate after his latest honor.

“I don’t have to worry about those things no more in my life,” Bonds said. Those hopes of making the Hall of Fame, I don’t have them anymore.” 

This is a different tone from Bonds, who has criticized Hall of Fame voters numerous times in the past for his exclusion from Cooperstown.

And while the latest honor is not the highest that Bonds is deserving of, the Home Run King is content settling for immortalization in both the Pirates and Giants franchises.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys played one of the more exciting games in recent Giants’ history on Sunday. However, the ending was crushing for New York. Cowboys 40, Giants 37. 

The overtime game saw 41 points scored in the fourth quarter, as Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson played well. A 64-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal sent this game to overtime after Wilson connected on a 48-yard touchdown bomb to Malik Nabers, which was after a short George Pickens touchdown that happened just after the two-minute warning.

Both teams were heavily penalized. The Giants committed 14 penalties for 160 yards, and Dallas committed 12 for 106 yards. New York went over 500 total offensive yards for the first time since 2011 – another game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants were the winners of that affair, but they failed to seize victory despite a valiant effort.

This was a completely different Wilson than we saw in Week 1 against Washington. Wilson finished the first half 17 of 20 for 235 yards with one touchdown. Wilson finished the game with 450 yards passing and 3 touchdowns.

The Buffalo Bills were up 30-3 before the New York Jets even had an ounce of legitimate offense. Even before their starting quarterback was knocked from the game with a concussion, the Jets offense was held to historically low numbers.

The Jets didn’t convert any of their third downs, marking the second time the Bills defense has done that since 1990. (The Bills also did it to the Jets in 2023.)

The Bills’ passing defense was the big winner on the day. New York had only two completions in the first half. Justin Fields left the game early, but finished the day 3-of-11 for just 27 yards with two sacks. Tyrod Taylor fared a bit better in desperation mode, going 7-of-11 for 56 yards and New York’s lone touchdown (against the backups).

Joey Bosa forced two fumbles during the game, too.

Honda is recalling a half-million vehicles in the US and Canada because the front seat belts may not latch properly.

The recall covers some of the the automaker’s top-selling models including the 2017 through 2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018 through 2020 Odyssey and the 2019 Insight. Also included is the Acura RDX from the 2019 and 2020 model years.

Honda says that the surface coating on the channel for the buckle can deteriorate over time. The release button can shrink against the channel at lower temperatures, increasing friction and stopping the buckle from latching.

If the buckle doesn’t latch, a driver or passenger may not be restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.