Week 9 Review of the NFL

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Mid-Season Report

We have arrived at the halfway point (sort of thanks to a 17-game schedule) of the NFL season. Here’s a brief rundown of who are contenders, outsiders and are planning for next season.

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NFC West

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1. San Francisco 49ers

Salary cap hell is approaching and this will likely be the last year with this current group to finally cash in and win a Super Bowl title.

2. Los Angeles Rams

With a healthy QB Matthew Stafford and a healthy WR Cooper Kupp, they could push for a top spot for the Wild Card and maybe the division should the Niners falter.

3. Seattle Seahawks

A new regime is taking shape at the coaching ranks. Can the new look defense match what the offense can produce on a weekly basis?

4. Arizona Cardinals

I don’t see Arizona giving up on QB Kyler Murray should he falter or get hurt again this season, but time is running out on his worth in the desert.

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2024 MLB All-Star Teams

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For the 94th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Arlington was in 1995. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.

AVG – Batting Average

ERA – Earned Run Average

HR – Home Runs

RBI – Runs Batted In

SV – Saves

BAA – Batting Average Against

WHIP – Walks/Hits Per Innings Pitched

K – Strikeouts

Stats are accurate as of July 13th

* – asterisk indicates starter

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National League Central

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* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Chicago Cubs

While they faltered at the end last season, it was an encouraging sign that they were trending in the right direction.

2. Cincinnati Reds

The youth movement is in full swing and now is the time for them to capitalize on it with a weak division.

3. St. Louis Cardinals

Getting Sonny Gray puts the top of their rotation in a stable setting, but will they be able to get production out of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado once again?

4. Milwaukee Brewers

Their pitching staff as a whole has taken a hit and not having Craig Counsell as their manager could put this franchise in a state of flux for a while.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Like their counterparts in Cincinnati, there is a fair amount of prospects ready to take the leap into the majors. Time to see if it clicks for Pittsburgh.

Player to Watch: OF Cody Bellinger – Chicago Cubs

Best Acquisition: P Sonny Gray – St. Louis Cardinals

New Kid on the Block: OF Jackson Chourio – Milwaukee Brewers

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