Emerging from the RedZone rot
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Leveling The Playing Field
In need of a little Monday motivation?
Look no further than Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, who played the full match in the Spirit’s 3–0 loss yesterday before traveling from D.C. to NYC to watch her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, compete in the US Open final. Channeling that hustle as we head into the new week.
NFL
🏈 A friendly neighborhood football round-up
The GIST: The beautiful chaos of NFL Sundays is back like it never left, so let’s sift through the storylines that shaped the season’s opening weekend. No spidey sense required.
🤩 Superstars showed up in season debuts: Fantasy football general managers, rejoice! The NFL’s best were stellar in Week 1, from Detroit Lions’ running back (RB) Jahmyr Gibbs’ historic outing in a 31–30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints to ageless RB Derrick Henry’s trifecta of TDs that paced a 41–23 Baltimore Ravens’ dub vs. the Indianapolis Colts.
- Not to be outdone, Buffalo Bills quarterback (QB) Josh Allen added two scores to his career rushing TD total in a clutch 36–31 victory vs. the Houston Texans, while Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams lit up the scoreboard in the highest-scoring game in Week 1 history, a 59–37 Bears W over the Carolina Panthers.
📈 Two teams that surprised us?: The perennially disappointing NY Jets, who crushed the (albeit unimpressive) Tennessee Titans 23–10 behind a strong outing from QB Geno Smith. And the Arizona Cardinals, who stymied the LA Chargers’ fancy new offense in a 26–14 win. Looks like it’s back to the drawing board for LA QB Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
❤️🩹 LA Rams star Myles Garrett lands on injured reserve: A pesky sore knee may have been the root of the defensive end’s lackluster performance Down Under. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year will have arthroscopic surgery ASAP, with hopes of returning to the lineup in Week 6.
🍿 Up next? Monday Night Football tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET: Week 1 might be saving its best for last with a divisional tilt between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. KC QB Patrick Mahomes will make his highly-anticipated return after ACL surgery vs. one of the league’s top defenses. Drama, loading.
P.S. If you enjoyed this story, you’ll love The GIST’s Weekly Blitz, our Tuesday newsletter breaking down the top stories from around the league.
🎾 American No. 9 Ben Shelton falls in US Open final
Shelton fought hard, but lost in four sets to he-who-shan’t-be-named yesterday, missing out on the chance to end the 23-year Grand Slam drought for the American men. On the women’s side, now–No. 1 Elena Rybakina took down then–No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets during Saturday’s final, snagging her second major title this year and third overall.
- And in history-making news, American Taylor Townsend and Czechia’s Kateřina Siniaková completed the career Grand Slam together in doubles on Friday. Powerful.
🎓🏈 Texas football overcomes 20-point deficit, claims No. 1 AP Top 25 spot
The Longhorns really said “call an ambulance, but not for me,” putting up 21 fourth-quarter points to beat then–No. 1 Ohio State 24–23 on Saturday. Junior Texas QB Arch Manning (one TD, 195 yards) stepped up to lead his squad, along with junior running back Hollywood Smothers, who rushed for a game-tying TD with 25 seconds to go.
- All that excitement surely made for a stellar postgame interview, right? Nope. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian blew off beloved ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, his second missed interview of the night after skipping out at halftime following technical difficulties.
🏆🏀 Team USA wins fifth straight FIBA Women’s World Cup
An early 14-point deficit? No problem for this star-studded squad, who used a dominant third quarter to beat France 97–79 yesterday, the red, white, and blue’s 36th straight W at the biennial event. The champs are one of the youngest American teams ever assembled — but it was the veterans who led the charge, powered by a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double from tourney MVP Breanna Stewart.
- That said, there’s no rest for, well, anyone as WNBA action resumes on Thursday. With coveted postseason positioning on the line and just four regular-season games remaining per team, the high-stakes hoopla has only just begun.
🎓🐻 Kate Koval transfers to Baylor women’s basketball after leaving LSU
The Ukrainian hooper left the Tigers earlier this month following news that controversial head coach Kim Mulkey recruited a Russian player…after the transfer portal closed in April. The NCAA granted Koval a rare transfer waiver, allowing the six-foot-five junior center to immediately continue her collegiate career with the Bears. Much bigger than basketball.
TOGETHER WITH Spark by Hilton
⭐ How to save on hotels for away games
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🏆⛳ Team Europe won the Solheim Cup yesterday, beating the reigning champ Americans 15–13 behind English rookie Lottie Woad’s winning putt during singles play.
🏎️ Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli added another victory to his résumé yesterday, winning the Spanish Grand Prix to extend his World Drivers’ Championship lead to 81 points (aka more than three race wins). Sometimes drivers are lucky, sometimes they’re fast, and sometimes they’re both.
⚾ The Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers clinched playoff spots over the weekend, the first squads to secure their place in the 12-team MLB postseason field with less than two weeks to go in the regular season.
🏆 The inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) championship is nearly set. The LA Queens face the NY Heights in a winner-take-all Game 3 tonight at 7 p.m. ET, and the victor faces the No. 1 seed San Francisco Firebells in the best-of-five title series, which begins on Wednesday.
⚽ North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez is just one goal away from tying Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga’s regular-season scoring record after netting her 19th golazo of the season in the Courage’s 2–1 Saturday loss to the San Diego Wave.
👟 American sprinters Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek blazed through Budapest, sweeping their respective 100m and 200m World Athletics Ultimate Championship races over the weekend. So speedy.
So many NFL highlights, so little time. Which spectacular play was your fave from Week 1?
🌀 Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ spin cycle
👏 Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington’s diving TD
👀 Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt’s mind-boggling pick six
💥 Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers’ first-half explosion
💪 Three straight fumble recoveries from the Cincinnati Bengals defense
💨 Chicago Bears RB Kyle Monangai’s 61-yard TD
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Elisha Gunaratnam and Briana Ekanem. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Lisa Minutillo. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.