San Francisco 49ers
Week two concluded in the NFL with more of the status quo. Not as many shockers this week as there were in week one. It's a matter of opinion really. Here's more of mine opinions on week two in the NFL:
The Good
-49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is finally healthy and earning the massive contract. He completed 68% of his passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns against the Bengals. If he keeps this up, the 49ers will be a playoff contender. That NFC West will also be a division race to watch
-Falcons receiver Julio Jones took a 4th&3 reciever screen pass 54 yards to the house for the game winining touchdown. Analytics say he hit 20mph on his run to the end zone. Julio proved why he's considered the best reciever in the league and well deserving of the highest paid reciever in the league distinction as well.
-Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had another great game. 272 yards passing on 65% passing with two touchdowns, another 120 yards rushing, while taking only two sacks and no turnovers. not too bad for a guy some thought would only survive as a reciever.
The Bad
-Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 349 yards...and they still lost. Being one of two rookie quarterbacks to throw for more than 300 yards in his first two games. This would be more celebrated had they won. Being 0-1-1 isn't going to save or torpedo his season, but putting up record number on a bad team is kind of like the tree falling in the woods with no one around.
-The ending of the Bears/Broncos game was terrible. Penalties, clock issues, blown chances, and a 4th&15 conversion. The only good thing that came out of it was the Bears apparently found a kicker in Eddie Pineiro as he kicked a 53 yard game winner. All of this in a 16-14 game between two 0-1 teams trying to avoid 0-2.
-The Chargers/Lions game ended in a 13-10 Lions win, and there was only one score in the second half when Matt Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for a touchdown midway through the third quater. One would think teams featuring Stafford and Phillip Rivers at quarterback would be capable of putting up more than 23 combined points.
The Ugly
-Quarterbacks are dropping like flies! Jags Nick Foles (IR designated to return), Steelers Ben Roethlisberger (season ending elbow surgery), and Saints Drew Brees (out six weeks with thumb surgery) are all out significant time due to injuries. Jags ans Steelers may be done, but the Saints have an outside shot to make the playoffs. Somebody wrap Deshaun Watson in bubble wrap please.
-Obligatory "Dolphins suck" post: The Dolphins lost 43-0 to the Patriots. They ran four less plays, got outgained by 97 yards, and gave up seven sacks. The average score of a Dolphin game after two weeks is 51-5. Maybe they will be historically bad.
-Eli Manning is in the last year of his contract with the Giants. The Giants are seemingly going to let him play it out even though 1sr round pick Daniel Jones is waiting in the wings.Eli has looked like a shell of himself and Jones is coming off a fairly impressive preseason. This has people calling for Manning's exit and Jones' entrance. Hard to see a two time Super Bowl winner being run out of town.
This was a quarterback heavy recap. Given that the NFL is a quarterback driven league, it's not surprising. Hopefully week three brings us some better performances, more stunning results, and a hit on a parlay (thanks for nothing Chargers/Lions). Although, I did enjoy some of the closer contested games. Overall it was another week of NFL football, of which, we have every weekend until the first Sunday in February. Let's enjoy it while we have it.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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