Good Morning, and welcome to Savage Sports. Sorry to everyone who voted for Travis Kelce in our TE poll that went out Monday. Gronk took home 57% of the vote. I guess stats aren’t everything.

YIKES: Chris Olave can’t catch a break. Not only does he have to deal with Derek Carr as his quarterback. And now this:

On a more random note, here is a video of Eli Manning rushing highlights for your viewing pleasure if you start feeling like you are getting too productive today. ⬇️

Here's what we got for you today:

• Brock Purdy Might Not Be Elite.

• TNF Preview. Buccaneers at Bills

• World Series Matchup Is Set.

• Lebron James Gets Dropped

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NFL

Brock Purdy And 49ers Lose Again

For the San Francisco 49ers, Weeks 6 and 7 haven’t gone as planned, ending in consecutive losses against both the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings—two teams that statistically should have been the underdog.

Four critical factors stand out in the 49ers’ second consecutive loss, led by Brock Purdy’s alarming inability to perform during clutch moments.

While a 21-of-30 line for 272 yards may look decent, it’s those two devastating interceptions in the dying minutes that make Purdy seem like a far cry from an elite NFL quarterback.

The second factor: the underutilization of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was effectively contained by the Vikings, gaining only 45 yards on 15 attempts.

Defensively, the 49ers were equally disappointing. Nick Bosa, an All-Pro edge and the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, has been surprisingly quiet this season. His lack of sacks is emblematic of a 49ers pass rush that was completely ineffective against the Vikings, even with their starting left guard sidelined.

Lastly, the 49ers’ defense was exploited to the tune of 452 net yards by a Vikings team missing their star receiver, Justin Jefferson.

Weeks 6 and 7 have been a stark reminder that both the 49ers and their once “can-do-no-wrong” QB, Brock Purdy, still have much to prove.

As the 49ers navigate the remainder of the season, they’ll need to address these shortcomings—starting with their quarterback—if they want to once again be seen as Super Bowl contenders.

———

Thursday Night Football Preview

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) vs. Buffalo Bills (4-3)

Line: BUF -8.5

The Bills are 2-0 against the NFC this season. Can they keep that streak alive on Thursday Night Football, or will the Bucs pull an upset as the Bills continue their roller-coaster season?

Recent games have seen the Bills struggling to score in the first half, averaging just 3.3 points. It’s an issue that Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey has acknowledged, highlighting incomplete drives and missed opportunities. The Bucs have a stingy defense, allowing only 17.3 points per game. If Buffalo doesn’t solve their first-half woes, they could be playing catch-up.

Josh Allen is undefeated on Thursdays and nears a career milestone of 200 total touchdowns. Given his stats—averaging three total touchdowns and a 107.7 passer rating in Thursday games—he could very well be the x-factor for the Bills. Will the Thursday Night Josh Allen show up? Or will the Bills go to 4-4, allowing the Dolphins to take a commanding lead in the AFC East?

NBA

Lebron Hits The Deck

The NBA is here and the Denver Nuggets are picking up right where they left off, beating the Lakers 119-107.

Still, it was Lebron who took the biggest L, getting dropped by Reggie Jackson in the 2nd quarter.

MLB PLAYOFFS

The World Series Matchup No One Expected

The Texas Rangers will play the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Fall Classic this year—a matchup no one saw coming when we started the postseason.

Arizona battled back from a 2-0 deficit early in the series and then a 3-2 deficit going back to Philadelphia to stun the Phillies and advance to just their second World Series in franchise history.

The same Phillies bats that showed up this entire postseason were nowhere to be found in Game 7.

This all begs the question, is the new MLB playoff format fair? What value does the 162-game regular season have when so many teams make the playoffs and the teams that win their division have the same chances as the number 6 seed?

Some would even argue that the time off during the Wildcard round for the division champs is a disadvantage in the playoffs.

What do you think?

TW0-MINUTE DRILL

• Injured Jones out of UFC 295. 

• New Tour de France course unveiled.

• NFL Trade Deadline buzz. 🏈

• NFL admits to incorrect calls. 

VIDEO OF THE DAY

What?!

houseofhighlights

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THE BUZZER

That's a wrap for today. We'll be back on Friday!

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