TEXAS PRO SPORTS FANS SEE GREAT COMEBACKS ON SUNDAY

 

Last updated 10/15/2019 at Noon



I did something Sunday I don’t think ever happened in the six decades I’ve been an avid sports fan.

I plopped down in my favorite chair and watched sports on television from the mid-morning NFL pregame shows until after midnight with the Houston Astros’ extra- inning playoff game against the New York Yankees.

The meals were eaten in front of the boob tube.

The three sport events that had my undivided attention were the NFL games involving Houston at Kansas City where the Texans were a touchdown underdog, the Dallas Cowboys at the winless New York Jets where they were nearly a two-touchdown favorite and Game 2 of the ALDS playoffs between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.

The first period of the game at noisy Arrowhead Stadium was hard to digest when Kansas City took the opening kickoff and drove it the length of the field for a touchdown.

On the first play from scrimmage, Texans running back Carlos Hyde fumbled and the Chiefs recovered and scored on another 90-yard touchdown drive.

Houston did manage a first quarter field goal, but Kansas City really looked like the Super Bowl contender the preseason prognosticators evaluated in August.

But Houston settled down and got right back into the football game by outscoring the hosting Chiefs 20-0 in the second quarter and taking a 23-17 lead into the dressing room at halftime.

KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes continued to connect with his targets and accounted for the only third period points as the Chiefs began the final quarter leading 24-23.

However, the final period belonged to the Texans who scored the deciding touchdown and two-point conversion bringing the final score to 31-24 and maintaining their hold on the AFC South Division lead with a 4-2 record.

The Cowboys started their game even worse than Houston as they managed only three field goals in the first three quarters and found themselves trailing the 0-4 Jets 21-9 at the start of the fourth period.

Their great offensive machine could never get started.

Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott woke up his pals and led a comeback by scoring a pair of touchdowns, but needed a two-point conversion to send the game into overtime in the waning seconds of the game.

Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams—the same Gregg Williams who paid bounties when he was at New Orleans—called for an all-out blitz on the two-point try and blanketed Prescott before he could do anything, salvaging the Jets’ 24-22 victory.

After a half-hour break, my main focus switched to baseball where the Houston Astros sent out their ace pitcher Justin Verlander to try and even the best-of-seven playoffs to 1-1 before going to Yankee Stadium last night.

It was really strange that in the pre-game show former Yankee Alex Rodriguez mentioned that Astros shortstop Carlos Correa was quiet in the first game that was won by New York 7-0 and he predicted he would come to life Sunday night.

Big Papi added that he thought George Springer would hit a home run.

These two analysts must be psychic because both Springer and Correa were very instrumental in the game’s outcome.

Correa drove in the game’s first run with a double in the second inning.

Verlander was as stingy as always, issuing a rare walk and then giving up a two- run homer to 6-7, 280-pound Aaron Judge in the top of the fourth inning.

Springer evened the scored at 2-2 with a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The next six innings were a game of cat-and-mouse between Yankee manager Aaron Boone and Astros’ skipper A.J. Hinch who set some kind of record by running different pitchers out of their respective bullpens often as the score remained tied at 2-2.

New York came closest to scoring with runners on first and second when a hard- hit grounder bounced off Jose Altuve and caromed toward shortstop Correa, who grabbed the ball barehanded and first a strike to catcher Robinson Chirinos who tagged the runner out to preserve the tie.

Hinch used his ace set-up man Will Harris in the seventh inning and brought in closer Roberto Osuna in the ninth inning and was concerned when Ryan Pressly gave up two hits in the 10 th inning and brought in Josh James, who put out the fire.

James also pitched a perfect 11 th inning and was the winning pitcher when Correa blasted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning giving the Astros a much-needed 3-2 win and evened the series at 1-1.

Monday was a travel day and Yankee Stadium in New York would be the site of the next three games, including yesterday afternoon’s game that was started by top 2019 Cy Young candidate Gerrit Cole.

KWICKIES…The West Orange-Stark Mustangs kept their streak intact after upsetting preseason predicted district champion Silsbee 17-9 at the Tigers’ stadium Friday night.

The Mustangs haven’t lost a district game since 2009 and should keep that record intact at then end of this season.

LSU’s impressive 42-28 victory over Florida Saturday night vaulted them into second place in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 College Football Rankings, behind top-rated Alabama.

Clemson and Ohio State each dropped a point to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while Oklahoma moved up a step to No. 5.

Wisconsin jumped up two places to No. 6 and Penn State came up three spots to No. 7, Notre Dame moved up one slot to No. 8, Florida dropped two places to No. 9 and Georgia sunk seven spots to No. 10.

Texas went down four spots to No. 15, Baylor moved up four places to No. 18 and SMU jumped two notches to No. 19.

Lanto Griffin won the Houston Open by a single stroke Sunday and collected his first winning check for $1.35 million.

The winning trophy was presented to Griffin by Houston Astros’ owner Jim Crane at the Golf Club of Houston.

Griffin had rounds of 66- 74-65-69—274 which is 14 strokes under par.

He beat Scott Harrington and Mark Hubbard by a single stroke.

JUST BETWEEN US…There are only two undefeated teams left in the National Football League, one being expected and the other a huge surprise.

The New England Patriots at 6-0 is not any kind of a surprise, beating Pittsburgh (33-3), Miami (43-0), NY Jets (30-14), Buffalo (16-10), Washington (33-7) and the NY Giants (35-14).

San Francisco at 5-0 is wowing the fans with victories over Tampa Bay (31-17), Cincinnati (41-17), Pittsburgh (24-20), Cleveland (31-3) and the LA Rams (20-7).

On the other side of the coin, only two teams are winless—Cincinnati (0-6) and Miami (0-5).

 

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