San Francisco 49ers
Week Five in the NFL saw some thinning in the ranks of the undefeated. We also saw some teams continue their dominance. Here's some of my observations:
The Good
-The 49ers are still undefeated after their dismantling of the Browns on Monday Night football. They're 4-0 for the first time since 1990 when Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were in their heyday. In their 31-3 win, The 49ers had 95 more rushing yards than the Browns had total yards. That "other" Bosa brother (Nick) is pretty good.
-The Bills are 4-1 thanks to a stingy defense. We're talking about a defense that averages giving up less than 300 yards and only 14 points per game. The Patriots may finally have a division rival to worry about in almost 20 years.
-The Colts went into Kansas City and left with a 19-13 win over the Chiefs. They did it by dominating the time of possession (+14:30) and a rushing yardage differential of +144. They also beat up Pat Mahomes and made sure he felt uncomfortable. It helps that they added former Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston.
The Bad
-The Cowboys are now 3-2 after starting 3-0 thanks to a 34-24 loss to the Packers at home. The Packers have owned the Cowboys in Dallas so much, AT&T Stadium has been called "Lambeau South." Despite putting up over 500 yards of offense, the three Dak Prescott interceptions and 11 accepted penalties for 124 yards were too much to overcome.
-The Bengals are turning back into the "Bungles" fast. They're 0-5 now on the season after losing 26-23 to the Cardinals and their rookie quarterback Kyler Murray. The Bengals' defense gave up 248 yards passing and had a rush yardage differential of -158. They may be giving the Dolphins a run for the #1 overall pick.
-The Chargers fell to 2-3 with a loss to the winless Broncos 20-13. Again, rushing yardage differential played a part as the Broncos were +156, as well as a +1 in the turnover department despite having 12 accepted penalties for 122 yards. So much for the Chargers making the AFC West interesting. They need to bounce back big if they plan on competeting.
The Ugly
-Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph took a nasty hit and was put into concussion protocol. Ravens safety Earl Thomas laid the hard hit on Rudolph, but wasn't ejected. He most likely will get fined because when you have the gift of replay and slow motion, things will always look differently. Rudolph was able to walk off the field (with assistance) and should be okay.
-The Rams lost their second game in a row. A season removed from their Super Bowl appearance and they may be on the ropes. Throwing 117 passes and only running the ball 29 times with a rushing yardage differential of -145 and a turnover differential of -4. They lost when kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 44 yard field goal with 15 seconds left.
-The Skins fired head coach Jay Gruden following their 33-7 loss to the Patriots. Word has it the organization decided to fire him around 8pm EST that night, but waited until 5am the following morning to call him in to fire him. Dan Snyder has had too many head coaches in his time as owner. I'm not defending Gruden, but seven head coaches in about 20 years of ownership is too damn many.
You can't pick your opponents in the NFL, you play who's on the schedule. Whowould've thought that the 49ers would join the Patriots as the last two undefeated teams in th league? With the way this season is going, I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants knocked off the Patriots this coming Thursday, or if the Redskins and Dolphins tie each other making both teams stay winless on the season. This season keeps getting better.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Here's what Nick Chubb noticed about the Houston Texans from afar
Jun 11, 2025, 5:11 pm
The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
White Sox continue to have Houston's number
After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.
Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.
Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.
The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.
On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.
Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.
Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2
Wednesday night matchup.
⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/UGNXjvgdC6
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 11, 2025
Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!