Weekly Sports Update: Sept. 17-22

Week two of the NFL regular season, the continuation of college football, and an eventful week in the MLB feature this week in sports. 

NFL week two 

Week two of the NFL has come and gone, showing that whatever happened in week one does not define the season. 

The Green Bay Packers, who lost 38-3 against the New Orleans Saints in week one, bounced back and  beat the Detroit Lions 35-17. Aaron Rodgers, the 2021 MVP, was back in true form, throwing for four touchdowns to lead his team to the win. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints lost to the Carolina Panthers 26-7 in their second game of the young season after their victory in week one. The Dallas Cowboys also bounced back, beating the Chargers by a game-winning field goal by Greg Zurliene, who missed two field goals the week before. 

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football after a last-minute fumble by the Chiefs’ running back Clyde Edwards-Hellaire. 

College football week four 

College football continued this past week as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-16 on Sept. 18. Oklahoma State beat Boise State by one point.  Making the two biggest Oklahoma football programs undefeated. 

Florida gave top-ranked Alabama a scare as the Crimson Tide had to rely on a last second defensive stand to come out with a win and hold their No. 1 ranking.

The Big 12, Big 10 and Atlantic Coast Conference all kick off their conference seasons on Saturday, Sept. 25. 

MLB heating up with just two weeks left 

As usual, September baseball continues to bring drama, changing  the playoff picture yet again. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays currently hold the wild card spots in the American League. The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their spot in the 2021 playoffs while the St. Louis Cardinals are separating themselves from the field. They are now in control of the second wild card spot by three and a half games in the national league. 

With just over two weeks left in the regular season, teams are starting to make their final push. The Most Valuable Player Award competition is also heating up, especially in the National League. Bryce Harper has slung himself into the favorite to win MVP for the National League after a strong second half of the season. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani continues his MVP front runner campaign for the American League. Vladimir Guerroro Jr. and Salvador Perez are also surging up in the league by leading in home runs at 46.