Mickey Togs

Despite their strong start, there were still questions regarding the legitimacy of Robert Saleh’s New York Jets team entering Sunday’s game against the Bills. Those questions may be gone now, as the Jets posted a 20-17 win over visiting Buffalo to post the franchise’s biggest win in a dozen years.

Two interceptions of Josh Allen loomed large in Sunday’s outcome. The picks overshadowed Allen’s two touchdown runs as Buffalo was unable to hold its early 14-3 lead. The Jets’ comeback was spearheaded by an opportunistic defense, an effective running game and the clutch play of quarterback Zach Wilson, who had arguably his best game since coming to the Big Apple. 

Wilson’s go-ahead touchdown, a 7-yard pass to James Robinson late in the third quarter, occurred after Sauce Gardner recorded the Jets’ second pick of Allen, who was sacked five times by the Jets’ aggressive defense. Wilson then turned to running backs Robinson and Michael Carter on the Jets’ game-winning drive after the Bills had briefly tied the score. 

Bryce Huff’s strip sack of Allen essentially ended the Bills’ hopes of pulling off a last-second comeback on their final drive. The win moves the Jets to 6-3, while the Bills fell to 6-2.

The Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1, in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series to clinch their second Major League Baseball championship in franchise history.

The Astros rallied back from a 1-0 deficit in the sixth inning after Yordan Álvarez hit a three-run home run to score Jose Altuve and Carlos Peńa.

Alex Bregman — who initially got on base with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch — scored on a Christian Vázquez single later in the inning.

Starting pitcher Framber Valdez pitched 6.0 innings and recorded nine strikeouts, two hits and one earned run, which came on a solo home run by Kyle Schwarber in the top half of the sixth, prior to the Astros rally.

Relievers Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly each pitched one scoreless full inning to end the game to clinch Houston’s second championship in five seasons.

The Astros won three consecutive games to clinch the series, having fallen behind 2-1 in the first three games, which included splitting wins in the first two games at Minute Maid Stadium and a loss in their first road game at Citizens Bank Park.

The Astros then defeated the Phillies in the final two games played in Philadelphia before clinching at their home stadium on Saturday night.  

Aaron Donald was linked to retirement rumors and speculation mounted that Sean McVay would jump to TV, but the Super Bowl-winning duo is returning to the Rams for another year. And one would not be there without the other.

“Not at all,” the Rams defensive tackle recently told NFL Network. “Not at all. If Sean ain’t here — I told Sean when he first got here. We came up with some things early and I first told him as long as he’s the head coach here, I want to continue to build my legacy with him. 

“As long as he’s here and I got the ability to still play at a high level, I’m going to be here. When he’s gone and it’s all said and done, that probably will be when I’m hanging it up, too.”

Donald, who had 12.5 sacks last season, is certainly nowhere near falling off, and he’s expected to have another big year with the defending champion Rams.

“It’s always going to be motivation to do everything you can to get back,” the 31-year-old Donald said. “That’s the ultimate goal. That’s what you work for. When you’re grinding and out here working right now, that’s in the back of your mind. To try to do everything you can to have a great season and try to be the last team standing.”