How DeAndre Hopkins helps Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes; NBA opening evening takeaways; World Sequence X-factors

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🏈 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

DEANDRE HOPKINS AND THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

One other big-name receiver is on the transfer to a group trying to contend. The Chiefs acquired DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans in change for a conditional fifth-round decide.

I need to get two issues out of the best way actually rapidly:

• Hopkins, 32, isn’t the Hopkins of previous, a five-time Professional Bowler and three-time first-team All-Professional. He has 15 catches this season, together with two catches or fewer in 4 of his six video games, and he has handled harm.
• Hopkins is a large improve for the Chiefs, which speaks volumes in regards to the Chiefs’ extensive receiver group.

Hopkins nonetheless brings physicality, an enormous catch radius (which helps rather a lot within the crimson zone, the place Kansas Metropolis has struggled) and the straightforward means to win one-on-one.

Moreover, this clearly is a large improve for Hopkins, too. Ever heard of Patrick Mahomes? He’ll make the most of the brand new sides Hopkins provides this offense.

As such, the Chiefs earned a “B+” in Cody Benjamin’s commerce grades.

• Benjamin: “Hopkins should not be seen because the savior of a badly bruised extensive receiver group … ‘Nuk’ is a confirmed route-runner with good palms, which ought to unlock speedier counterparts like Xavier Worthy to focus extra on downfield pictures. And even when he cannot face up to a monster workload down the stretch, Kansas Metropolis ought to have the ability to combine and match his expertise as a secondary outlet.”

Hopkins additionally provides Kansas Metropolis a large increase within the SportsLine Projection Mannequin.

By the best way, this wasn’t the Titans’ solely commerce Wednesday.

👍 Honorable mentions

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Takeaways from NBA openers

After the Celtics, Knicks, Lakers and Timberwolves opened the NBA season Tuesday, 20 extra groups took to the courtroom for the primary time final evening, and Sam Quinn took away classes from all 10 video games, together with the primary have a look at Buddy Hield, Stephen Curry‘s new backcourt mate, after Klay Thompson‘s departure from Golden State.

• Quinn: “Hield isn’t practically as versatile as Thompson was at his peak, however when it comes to pure capturing? The hole is smaller than you’d assume. Hield is a profession 40% shooter from deep, and he has each made and tried extra 3-pointers per 100 possessions for his profession than Thompson. Hield has 4 of the highest 25 seasons when it comes to total made 3-pointers, whereas Thompson has solely three. The Warriors will miss Thompson’s presence and expertise, but when opening evening was any indication, they will not miss a beat when it comes to capturing. Hield went nuts for 22 factors in solely quarter-hour, making 5 of his seven 3-point makes an attempt in a 139-104 blowout win over the Path Blazers. The Warriors have misplaced some dimension and offensive versatility with out Thompson, however relaxation assured, they will nonetheless have greater than sufficient capturing.”

And this season we additionally acquired the debut of a brand new enviornment, the Intuit Dome, the gorgeous $2 billion house of the Clippers. Our Invoice Reiter was readily available to witness what was there … in addition to what wasn’t.

• Reiter: “There have been fireworks — inside the sector — through the nationwide anthem. The place is slick and attention-grabbing, filled with cool tech and a shocking large display, with an outside space that feels half carnival, half tailgate, half celebration of the sport.
  The place is a marvel. An ideal place to catch a sport for an evening, Clippers fan or not.
  It is the group inside it that feels so incongruous right here: A botched ambition, a failed plan, a mistake filling up an area designed to showcase one thing sensational.”

Talking of sensational, we might be remiss to not name out one very notable return. Welcome again, Lonzo Ball!

Here is extra:

⚾ World Sequence preview: X-factors and constructing the proper group

Ah, X-factors. You possibly can’t reside with them, and you may’t reside with out them, particularly on the largest of levels. They’re what maintain you up all evening. They’re what may have one group partying all evening in some unspecified time in the future within the coming days as World Sequence champions.

In a World Sequence anticipated to be as tight as Dodgers-Yankees is, these 4 X-factors loom giant, in accordance with R.J. Anderson.

1. Freddie Freeman’s ankle
2. Walker Buehler’s Jekyll and Hyde act — “Buehler’s stuff did look completely different in opposition to the Mets. His fastball and cutter had extra rise to them whereas his sweeper had extra horizontal break than he confirmed all year long.”
3. Battle of the breaker
4. The publicity impact — “The thought is simple sufficient to know: the extra usually a hitter sees a pitcher, the higher they fare. … It is potential that the Dodgers’ obvious benefit within the bullpen proves to be overstated or maybe fully nullified late within the sequence.”

I additionally loved Mike Axisa constructing his All-World Sequence group. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Choose and Juan Soto had been simple picks. However on the sizzling nook, the Dodgers not solely have a definite benefit, however a traditionally sizzling bat.

🏈 NFL, Faculty Soccer QB Energy Rankings

Let’s maintain it easy right here. There is no such thing as a competitors for No. 1 in Cody Benjamin’s NFL QB Energy Rankings. Congrats, Lamar Jackson. However there are some spectacular performers simply behind him.

1. Lamar Jackson (earlier: 1)
2. Joe Burrow (2)
3. Josh Allen (4)
4. Baker Mayfield (5)
5. Jared Goff (9)

Goff and Mahomes (tenth to sixth) tied for the largest leap, whereas Brock Purdy dropped six spots from third to ninth. Oof.

Transferring to the school facet of issues, we now have full top-five stability.

1. Cam Ward (earlier: 1)
2. Dillon Gabriel (2)
3. Garrett Nussmeier (3)
4. Cade Klubnik (4)
5. Bryson Every day (5)

The primary change comes at No. 6, the place Avery Johnson rose after being unranked final week. He is placing collectively a string of stable performances after a brutal begin to the season.

However again to Gabriel for a second. Every week after delivering an enormous win over Ohio State, he was terrific on a brief week (and lengthy journey) at Purdue. It has been fairly a journey for Gabriel, and I liked these seven tales from throughout his profession, together with this one from 247’s Erik Skopil.

• Skopil: “Within the switch portal period, that is the kind of quarterback you hope to search out. … Gabriel’s DimeTime retreat was instrumental in profitable the roster over. In the course of the summer season, he introduced all of the talent gamers collectively for a weekend journey the place soccer, fellowship and enjoyable was central. No matter was achieved then has paid off come fall.”

⚽ UEFA Champions League Matchday 3: Barcelona runs rampant over Bayern Munich

Take a bow … and one other, one other, Raphinha. The Barcelona star netted a powerful hat trick in a 4-1 romp over Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 motion yesterday.

Pardeep Cattry writes on what the assertion win means for participant and membership with El Clasico in opposition to Actual Madrid developing.

• Cattry: “His transformation is probably the most tangible instance of Hansi Flick‘s affect on Barcelona simply two months into his stint in cost, although removed from the one one. Raphina’s rise, although, is definitely turning into one of many tales to look at this season in Europe and will ship one other thrilling chapter only a few days from now.”

Raphinha made James Benge’s Champions League Crew of the Week, and Barcelona climbed to 3rd in Chuck Sales space’s Energy Rankings.

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

🏀 Spurs at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏈 Syracuse at No. 19 Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Vikings at Rams, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Thunder at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT