3 fast takes from the recent week of sports

1. Justin Fields gets his revenge- With a set of injured ribs, Justin Fields delivered a sweet dose of payback to the same Clemson team that cut off their National Championship aspirations a year ago in the Fiesta Bowl. I thought that Fields and his numbers at the end of the game were pretty impressive, but that the toughness he displayed after the violent James Skalski hit spoke even more truth to how good of a quarterback he is. As if his injured ribs weren’t enough of a barrier, Fields’s draft stock significantly dropped based on his performance throughout this year’s short regular season. The redemption story—in the making—simply had a perfect prelude, and I hope Fields has one more trick up his sleeve for us on January 11th.

 

2. John Wall impresses in first few games- Back a few years ago, I distinctly remember a Team USA picture of John Wall appearing on my suggested posts for Instagram. Wall, who once was known for his cheetah-like speed with the ball, looked more like a guy off the streets than a perennial NBA All-Star. Luckily for Wall, his recent change of scenery in Houston appears to have positively affected his overall game. In his first game back from a two year hiatus, Wall put up a respectable 22 points, and he then went on to top that performance with 28 against the Kings. Because of his apparent rustiness, Wall will probably need to settle for more jump shots than he would like to. This could mean that we might see a different John Wall in the future. 

 

3. The losers somehow win- Somehow, someway, a team with a losing record under five hundred has snatched up a spot in the 2021 NFL playoffs. Between Ron Rivera battling cancer and Alex Smith recovering from 17 surgeries, the newly minted Washington Football Team seemed like the last team you would pick to make the playoffs in your life was on the line; however, their insanely talented defensive line, comprised of Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, and Jonathan Allen, have continued their campaign of wreaking havoc on the pocket and proving they all were perfect first round selections in their respective draft classes. Even though I love a sappy underdog story, my sane mind tells me that this Washington bunch won’t even come close to popping any champagne bottles in these upcoming playoffs.