THE LEFT TURN
NASCAR: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 preview, picks
Mar 18, 2022, 11:59 am
Start your engines! Photo via: Wiki Commons.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Atlanta Superspeedway and its new configuration for the Folds Of Honor QuickTrip 500. The track’s banking is much wider and the front stretch has been completely revamped. After some test runs, Cup Series regulars Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain described the new track layout akin to a mile and a half version of Daytona International Speedway. An interesting caveat to this race we’re hearing is the similarities to pack races we see at larger tracks, like Talladega. This is uncommon with smaller tracks, such as Atlanta. We are in for quite the unknown on how this will play out come Sunday when the green flag drops. The race will also feature the yellow line rule we see on those tracks as well, it will be important for drivers to stay on the racing surface when passing.
Last week, Chase Briscoe went on to capture his first career victory at Phoenix Raceway. Briscoe made the race-winning pass on Ryan Blaney with 14 laps remaining and never looked back en route to the victory. Throughout the course of the season, Briscoe has been showing great signs of improvement from his rookie season, and It was only a matter of time before he would get his first victory.
For the past couple of seasons, I’ve had high praise for California driver Tyler Reddick. He continues to impress week in and week out, and last week’s third-place effort was no different. Each race, he just gets closer and closer to that elusive first victory. Over the past four races, no one has led as many laps and if it wasn’t for a flat tire, there is no doubt that he would have won at California. It has been a thrill to follow his improvement from his rookie season to now. All he needs is a clean race and much like Briscoe, he will get that first career victory.
While Briscoe and Reddick are in the midst of a hot streak, on the opposite end of the spectrum lies Austin Cindric. It’s been rough sledding for the rookie after his surprise victory at Daytona. He’s been in a bit of a slump with multiple accidents at Auto-Club and Las Vegas and a poor 24th place finish at Phoenix. There could be a multitude of reasons for this, including his inexperience and this new racecar. On a positive note, they have shown how fast they are on superspeedways, so Atlanta can be a chance to turn it around for the #2 team
While there have been so many impressive showings from the new drivers, in the end, the cream always finds a way to the top and the familiar faces usually come out ahead. This week will be no different as the driver I have winning is Kevin Harvick. Last season was quite possibly his most disappointing as he failed to win a race for the first time during his tenure at Stewart-Haas racing. At first, Harvick and his team were considered the championship favorite, but in the end, 2021 just was not their year, and now they are coming back with a vengeance. After an impressive sixth-place finish last week in Phoenix, this team seems to be on a much more consistent path and closer to a victory. And what better place to go back to victory lane than the track where he got his first win. Look for Harvick to continue to build off his teammate’s victory with a win of his own come Sunday.
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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