The Playmaker Newsletter

5 min read

Monday Night Football broke the news of John Lennon’s murder…

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon, the renowned musician, was tragically murdered in New York. During a Monday Night Football game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, announcer Howard Cosell delivered the devastating news, stating, "John Lennon, the most famous of the Beatles, was shot outside his New York City apartment. It's an unspeakable tragedy."

🏈🏀🎾 MAJOR HEADLINES

🤕 Aaron Rodgers Sustains Early Ankle Injury During Jets Debut; X-rays Show No Fractures

• Despite initial concerns, X-rays on Rodgers' injured ankle came back negative, according to the Jets

🏈 Dallas Cowboys Create Franchise Milestone, Leave No Room for Doubt in 40-0 Victory

• The Cowboys set a new franchise record for the largest shutout victory, surpassing the previous mark set with a 38-0 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1978

🏈 Quinn Ewers Guides 11th-Ranked Texas to Stunning Victory Over 3rd-Ranked Alabama

• Ewers threw for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns, propelling 11th-ranked Texas to a 34-24 win over 3rd-ranked Alabama on Saturday night

• Following their upset against Alabama, Texas surged to the 4th position in the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings, behind Georgia, Michigan, and Florida State.

🏀 LeBron James plans to commit to Team U.S.A. next Summer after failing to medal in its second consecutive World Cup

• It’s the first time Team U.S.A has failed to medal in consecutive World Cups since 1970

🎾 Novak Djokovic Claims 24th Major Title with Victory over Daniil Medvedev in US Open

• On Sunday, Novak Djokovic secured a historic 24th major championship, equaling Margaret Court's record for the most Grand Slam singles titles in tennis history, by defeating Daniil Medvedev with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the US Open final

🏈 NFL WEEK 1 RECAP

The $1 Million IMPOSSIBLE Contest!

💰 Go 30/30 on NFL picks, win $1 million!

💰 $400 in weekly prizes to top players each week!

💰 1st Place = $200 | 2nd Place = $100 | 3rd Place = $100

💰 Game locks Sundays at 1pm ET

San Francisco 49ers: 30, Pittsburgh Steelers: 7

👉 Kenny Pickett (31/46, 232 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs) and the Steelers struggled in their season opener

👉 Brock Purdy (19/29, 220 YDS, 2 TDs) and Christian McCaffrey (22 CAR, 152 YDS, 1 TD), dominated the game from start to finish in Pittsburgh

👉 Brandon Aiyuk (8 REC, 129 YDS, 2 TDs) had a standout performance, and the Steelers' loss marked Mike Tomlin's largest home defeat during his tenure as head coach

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 20, Minnesota Vikings: 17

👉 Baker Mayfield (21/34, 173 YDS, 2 TDs) showcased his skills in his Buccaneers debut

👉 Tampa Bay’s defense capitalized on Kirk Cousins' struggles (33/44, 344 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 2 FUM), forcing three turnovers

👉 Justin Jefferson (9 REC, 150 YDS) showcased a strong performance; however, the Buccaneers still managed to upset the Vikings in Minnesota

Jacksonville Jaguars: 31, Indianapolis Colts: 21

👉 Anthony Richardson (24/37, 223 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT / 10 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD) had an encouraging NFL debut despite some imperfections

👉 Rookie Tank Bigsby (2 CAR, 13 YDS, 1 TD) redeemed himself with a crucial go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter

👉 Trevor Lawrence (24/32, 241 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT) performed well, while Richardson left the game with a bruised knee in the final minute but expects to recover

Baltimore Ravens: 29, Houston Texans: 9

👉 Justice Hill (8 CAR, 9 YDS, 2 TDs) stepped up with two second-half touchdowns after JK Dobbins' injury (8 CAR, 22 YDS, 1 TD)

👉 Despite Lamar Jackson's (17/22, 169 YDS, 1 INT / 6 CAR, 38 YDS, 1 FUM) two turnovers, the Ravens' defense harassed CJ Stroud (28/44, 242 YDS) and kept the Texans out of the endzone for a comfortable win

👉 JK Dobbins is out for the season due to a torn Achilles

LA Rams: 30, Seattle Seahawks: 13

👉 Matthew Stafford (24/38, 334 YDS) and the Rams delivered a strong performance against the Seahawks in Seattle

👉 Geno Smith (16/26, 112 YDS, 1 TD) and the Seahawks struggled, scoring zero points in the second half and accumulating only 180 total yards

👉 Rams RB Kyren Williams (15 CAR, 52 YDS, 2 TDs) and Cam Akers (22 CAR, 29 YDS, 1 TD), combined for three touchdowns.

Green Bay Packers: 38, Chicago Bears: 20

👉 Jordan Love (15/27, 245 YDS, 3 TDs) impressed in just his second career start

👉 Aaron Jones (9 CAR, 41 YDS, 1 TD / 2 REC, 86 YDS, 1 TD) and Romeo Doubs (4 REC, 26 YDS, 2 TDs) were standouts, each scoring two touchdowns

👉 Justin Fields (24/37, 216 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT / 9 CAR, 59 YDS, 1 FUM) and the Bears struggled to move the ball and suffered a blowout loss on their home field

Washington Commanders: 20, Arizona Cardinals: 16

👉 The Commanders' defense shutout Joshua Dobbs (21/30, 132 YDS) and the Arizona offense

👉 Sam Howell (19/31, 202 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) led Washington to a comeback victory in their first game under new ownership

Atlanta Falcons: 24, Carolina Panthers: 10

👉 Bijan Robinson (10 CAR, 56 YDS / 6 REC, 27 YDS, 1 TD) scored his first career touchdown and had a standout debut, overshadowing fellow rookie Bryce Young (20/38, 146 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT)

👉 Tyler Allegeier (15 CAR, 75 YDS, 2 TDs) contributed with two rushing touchdowns for Atlanta

Las Vegas Raiders: 17, Denver Broncos: 16

👉 Jimmy Garoppolo (20/26, 200 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT) connected with newcomer Jakobi Meyers (9 REC, 81 YDS, 2 TDs) for two touchdowns in their debut with the Silver and Black

👉 The win marked the Raiders' seventh consecutive win over the Broncos

New Orleans Saints: 16, Tennessee Titans: 15

👉 Ryan Tannehill (16/34, 198 YDS, 3 INT) had a poor performance, and the Titans couldn't find the endzone

👉 Derek Carr's (23/33, 305 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT) New Orleans debut was enough for them to win the game

💪 ON THIS DAY IN SPORTS

2011 US Open Men's Tennis: Novak Đoković wins his first US title; beats Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1

• 😅 Kawhi Leonard & Paul George about to have A NIGHTMARE with this one

• 🤣 Never forget when this coach DID THIS

• 🤯 Cam Whitmore's injury ALMOST broke him

• 🤔 True or False?