Intriguing ripple effect of Astros rival going full-hypocrite
LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE
20 July 2023
LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE
The Los Angeles Dodgers recently signed former Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick, and much has been made about welcoming a player that was on the 2017 Astros team that was punished for sign-stealing. The fact that the Astros beat LA in the World Series that year has certainly produced a lot of fans and players that still dislike the team.
However, many Dodgers players and their manager have come to Marisnick's defense. The LA Times reported on him joining the club.
“I do like Jake,” said Kershaw. “I think he’s had to deal with it for a long time. I think he has some remorse for it as well, which is probably all you can ask for at this point…”
Some other quotes were pretty condemning too.
“I don’t get as mad at him because he wasn’t in the lineup,” Kershaw said.
I guess he gets a pass because he wasn't a starter?
Funny, none of the Dodgers mentioned that Marisnick benefitted from the sign-stealing scandal probably more than anyone. He recorded a career-high in OPS and home runs that year.
And let's not forget Mookie Betts is on the Dodgers, and he was part of the Red Sox team punished for sign-stealing. And if memory serves, they won the World Series the same year they were busted for cheating. But nobody in LA brings that up.
Looking ahead
Enough with ancient history, the Dodgers players seem ready to put the past behind them.
So let's turn our attention to the home team. Astros supporters have been quick to tell angry MLB fans to get over it, 2017 was a long time ago. But the thought of Astros hater Cody Bellinger joining the team has most Houstonians upset. Personally, I can't blame them. I don't want him here, either.
But if we want everybody to move on and get over it, shouldn't that apply to Bellinger's past comments?
Be sure you watch the video above as we break it all down.
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C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson found themselves in the same spot when they met in Week 2 last season.
Both quarterbacks were top-five draft picks, lost their season openers and seemed to be facing a steep learning curve.
Richardson won Round 1 in Houston, although he didn't finish the game.
Stroud took Round 2 in Indianapolis with the injured Richardson watching from the sideline as Texans clinched the AFC South title and Stroud locked up his runaway selection as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Sunday, each QB begins his second pro season — with a lot still to prove.
“I’m excited. First official game back with my guys and my teammates,” said Richardson, who had season-ending shoulder surgery last October. "I want to win. So, whatever I’ve got to do to do that, I’m going to do it.”
Winning a season opener certainly would be a welcome change for a franchise that last started 1-0 in 2013. The 10-game winless streak is easily the NFL's longest active streak.
But that's just a start for Richardson.
He needs to improve his accuracy after completing a pedestrian 59.5% of his throws in 2023 and must demonstrate he can finish games. He missed 13 last season and only finished one of his four starts because of an assortment of injuries, including the concussion that knocked him out of that Week 2 matchup at Houston after he ran for two scores.
Stroud, meanwhile, is coming off one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history.
He became just the third player in a half-century to lead the league in yards passing per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6 to 1), won a playoff game and made hist first Pro Bowl appearance.
How can he improve on a season like that? By showing last season was a building block — not a fluke. He has a stronger supporting cast, too, with Joe Mixon, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Stefon Diggs, who has four straight 100-catch seasons, now in the mix.
The long journey begins Sunday in Indianapolis.
“I want to just start fast,” Stroud said. “It doesn't have to do with a certain game, just in general this season. Last year, we started off really slow and just kind of had to build our way back. It's not an easy thing to do, so I would say this year we want to start fast.”
Houston receiver Nico Collins had two of his biggest games last season against Indy — catching seven passes for 146 yards and one TD in the Week 2 matchup only to outperform those numbers with a 195-yard day that included a 75-yard TD catch in Week 18.
He could play an even bigger role this time with Indy's young secondary trying to match up not only with Collins but also Diggs, Mixon and tight end Dalton Schultz.
“Nico is a playmaker,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Every time I see him, he’s a true playmaker. So, you just have to get Nico the ball in any way, shape or fashion. Just find a way to get him the ball just to see how explosive and how dynamic he is.”
Injuries and a contract dispute prevented Jonathan Taylor from replicating the form he used to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Starting against the Texans could be just what he needs.
In six games against Houston, Taylor has rushed for seven TDs and 135.2 yards per game — his highest average against any team he's faced multiple times. And in that rematch with Houston in Week 18, he finished with 30 carries for 188 yards, the NFL's highest single-game total all season.
Houston defensive end Will Anderson, last season’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, will play Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury that limited his training camp snaps.
The No. 3 overall pick in 2023 had 45 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 1/2 sacks as a rookie. He expects to be even better this season.
“I’m way more comfortable,” he said. “Just going into Year 2 knowing the scheme better, knowing what to expect a little bit more and knowing what’s going to happen gives you more confidence.”
The Colts lost their 2023 sacks leader, Samson Ebukam, with a torn Achilles tendon during training. But they may have the perfect replacement.
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player taken in April's draft, at No. 15 overall, and he's shown coaches that the moves he used to record 23 1/2 sacks over his last two college seasons can work in the NFL.
“We know that there’s going to be a learning curve there," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "We know there are going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say there were some good plays, and there were plays he wishes he had back — we understand that. But just his overall mentality and skill set, we’re very excited to see.”