NFL's Stars Aren't Aligning. They're Falling

www.ozy.com September 19, 2019 SPORTS STORIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT [Huddle]( Welcome to [The Huddle with OZY](: A sports newsletter to vault you ahead of the curve. Leadoff Hitter To watch a previously anonymous, mustachioed Gardner Minshew II dice up the Kansas City Chiefs defense in his first NFL game — or arrive for the Jaguars’ Week 2 game in Houston wearing aviator shades, a gold chain and a gleaming satin shirt unbuttoned to his navel — is to realize we’re witnessing the birth of a modern folk hero. To read the NFL injury report is to recognize the league is running out of starting quarterbacks. Just two weeks into the season, 41 quarterbacks have taken the field for 32 teams. Soon, more inexperienced backups will take the field. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (pictured), the Saints’ Drew Brees, Carolina’s Cam Newton and Jacksonville’s Nick Foles are all injured. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) retired, and the New York Giants benched Eli Manning. Other starters like Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay), Joe Flacco (Denver) and Case Keenum (Washington) look headed for the pine soon too. For years we’ve waited for the next generation of star QBs to send the old guard out to pasture. But this feels like half of the league is suddenly starting replacement players. (Is that [Colin Kaepernick]( on line 1? We digress.) With reigning MVP [Pat Mahomes]( in Kansas City — and Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson not far behind — some young stars appear ready to carry the proverbial torch. Plus, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are still slinging. But this feels like a transition period. The question is whether young guns like Minshew will have the longevity to match their swag. Watch ‘Em, Pick ‘Em No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 3 Georgia Saturday at 8:00 pm ET on CBS Two tradition-rich programs with overlapping College Football Playoff history meet in Athens in a game that will have ripple effects this December. Twitter Poll [Notre Dame (+14.5)]( OR [Georgia (-14.5)]( Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Browns Sunday at 8:30 pm ET on NBC The first of five straight games against teams that have started 2-0, the Browns face a major litmus test with the high-powered Rams coming into town. Twitter Poll [Los Angeles (-3)]( OR [Cleveland (+3)]( Sponsored by: CARIUMA [The Sneaker That Extends Summertime]( We found just the thing to banish those end-of-summer blues: white kicks that will keep you in a vacation state of mind even as you head back to work or school. Why? Because white kicks work, no matter the season, whether you’re at the beach or at your desk. And this versatile sneaker — with its classic styling, sleek, sturdy canvas and lightweight cushion technology — is everything you’re looking for in a solemate. [It’s where function meets fabulous — so treat yourself to a pair. Save $15 by using the OZY code here.]( Ones to Watch Erling Braut Haaland. With a 2-0 loss to Napoli, Liverpool became the first reigning champ to lose its Champions League opener since 1994. But the show to watch was in Group E. In a 6-2 victory over Belgian club K.R.C. Genk, Austrian Bundesliga side RB Salzburg witnessed the emergence of a potential superstar. Haaland, 19, became the first teenager to score a hat trick in his Champions League debut since Wayne Rooney in 2004 … and he scored all three goals before halftime. After his fourth hat trick of the season, the Yorkshire-born Norwegian — son of the former Manchester City and Leeds midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland — can expect to see his transfer fee skyrocket from its estimated $13.65 million market value. This time last season, then-Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong was worth only $7.98 million, according to TransferMarkt. After leading Ajax to the Champions League semifinals, de Jong was sent to Barcelona for a $75 million transfer fee. Will the baby-faced Norse god of striking follow suit? Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas Aces. For a moment, with the clock ticking down under 10 seconds and the ball in possession on Sunday, the fifth-seeded Chicago Sky believed they were headed to the WNBA semifinals. Until they weren’t. For that, the Sky can thank an errant pass by Courtney Vandersloot, and — much more importantly — an improbable steal and 3-point heave by Las Vegas Aces forward Hamby. Her [running jump shot off her left foot]( from about 40 feet out advanced the Aces to face the top-seeded Washington Mystics in a best-of-five semifinals. The Aces dropped the first matchup, as Hamby scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds, with Game 2 tonight in Washington. Can Hamby & Co. do enough to slow Mystics forward and newly crowned WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne? Trending Up Hoops Season. After Team USA’s embarrassing seventh-place finish at the FIBA World Cup, Stephen Curry has already committed to playing for America in next summer’s Tokyo Olympics. “That is the plan, for sure,” Curry, who has played in two World Cups but never at the Olympics, told ESPN. This means the floodgates will open for the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant (health permitting), Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving to come back to USA Basketball. But next summer’s roster depends entirely on the approaching NBA season. Curry and Klay Thompson must adjust to life without Durant (Nets) in Golden State, while a Boston team that had four of its players compete in the World Cup (including new star Kemba Walker) is looking to reclaim Eastern Conference supremacy without Durant’s new teammate, Irving. Elsewhere, a rejuvenated World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio joins the Suns with bragging rights after leading Spain to the FIBA championship. Other top FIBA performers, like Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia, Kings), Nikola Jokic (Serbia, Nuggets), Evan Fournier (France, Magic) and Tomás Satoransky (Czech Republic, Bulls), are hoping the summer success translates to NBA progress. Trending Down Healthy MVP candidates. One week after reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers) was lost for the season with a fractured kneecap, Major League Baseball’s best all-around player — two-time AL MVP Mike Trout — is out for the season due to foot surgery for a nerve issue. “I’ve been dealing with it for like the last month, and it progressively got worse,” the Angels star told the Los Angeles Times. Trout is able to shut it down early without worry because his Angels (68-83) are far from playoff contention. That Trout was the leading MVP candidate (.291/.438/.645 slash line, 45 homers, 110 runs scored, 104 RBI) on such a bad team only speaks to his excellence. In spite of his injury, Trout will likely still win the AL MVP, while the NL award appears to be Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger’s to lose. Bellinger’s 44 home runs are tied for third in the National League (behind Mets rookie Pete Alonso’s 48) and fifth overall. His .304/.408/.625 slash line is impressive, and with the Dodgers rolling toward a potential World Series appearance, Bellinger will have ample opportunity to sway voters in the postseason. Read this [Should Opponents Still Fear the Reign of Aaron Rodgers]( Matt Foley / OZY Aaron Rodgers has a surprisingly abysmal track record of converting late-game comebacks. Is the most physically gifted quarterback in the NFL really a player that opponents should fear? [check it out]( [What Does a Great Player Look Like Now?]( Rory Smith / The New York Times A new generation of young international football stars are poised to take the mantle from Messi and Ronaldo. Some great players, like Neymar, Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba, arrived too early to make a push. Can the new crop ever measure up? [check it out]( [What Are the Cowboys Worth to Dak?]( Conor Orr / Sports Illustrated Contract haggling with the Cowboys has always been wild, from horse trailers to free houses to a coin flip proposition on the tarmac at LAX. Now, as they try to lock down a talented young core, they’re playing a different game. [check it out]( [From Backyard to Bruins, the Rodriguez Sisters Share Strong Bond at UCLA]( Graham Hayes / ESPN It’s a nice sibling story, if not exactly unique in college sports. Except it might also be the reason UCLA wins a national championship this season. [check it out]( Don’t Miss Washington State coach Mike Leach is a man of many quirks and interests. This summer, Leach taught a seminar called “Insurgent Warfare and Football Strategies.” When a reporter this week asked Leach which Pac-12 mascot would win a battle royal, his answer was, much like the Washington State Cougar, “clear-minded and crafty.” [Watch now]( For more unique sports stories, go to [The Huddle with OZY](. How did we do? Send us your feedback at replies@ozy.com OZY Media 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](